


Melting the Ice

by MoonEnchantress



Category: Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Beheading, F/M, Graphic Description, Intersex Loki, M/M, Mpreg, Prisoner of War, Rape/Non-con Elements, Vikings, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-04-05 21:15:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4195152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonEnchantress/pseuds/MoonEnchantress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jötunheimr and Ásgarðr had been at each other's throat for centuries and now, they finally clashed their swords. </p><p>By unfortunate circumstances, Loki is defeated on the battlefield and is captured by the Ásgardian warriors. He is made a war prisoner, valued by Odin as Laufey's youngest and treasured son. There he must endure through the humiliations and tortures of the viking men who wish to inflict unimaginable pain upon him. Loki later realizes that his key to survival is the Golden Odinson Thor. </p><p>The Mighty Thor takes it upon himself to chaperon the Jotunn sorcerer to ensure his well being and survival. Though it becomes more than he bargain for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Realms at War

The arctic wastelands had welcomed the golden warriors with fierce tempest and layers of hateful snow that made it virtually impossible to dash through the impenetrable, thick snow with any success. The Asgardian army, four divisions of powerful and elite warriors trudged through the snow at a painstakingly, slow and tiring pace. Many men had fallen due to the sub-zero temperatures suffering severe conditions of frostbite or simply turning into icy statues of frozen men. Jötunheimr was vicious to any organism that didn't belong to her ecosystem and she treated them with high animosity. The Asgardian army had expected no less when storming into the realm of the Jötunn with the intentions of subduing and enslaving the race into submission. Jötunheimr had been allowed to exist as an influential power worthy of its place within the nine realms and constant rivalry between the two most powerful realms existed for many millennia before the current king Odin Borson; all rather the Allfather.

Once the declaration of war had been issued, Asgardian warriors marched into Jötunheimr and no doubt, the barbaric race of Ice Giants had been gearing for this war.  
Thor Odinson, crown prince of Asgard had led the 1st division which led a straight path through the cold wastelands into the glorified kingdom of Jotunheimr. With each slow, antagonizing meter of territory gained from the Jötunn's, left warriors weary and the likelihood of a stalemate became a real fear. Thor's 1st division set up camp when the weather proved too unstable to be marching forth into the unpredictable blizzards. Trenches were built into the snow's surface miles ahead where many soldiers were settled on the lookout for any approaching enemy soliders while the vast majority remained to set up the camp. The 1st division had taken its first rest since the commencement of the war 20 moons ago.

"Settling down here may very well be seen as unconditional surrender" Tyr sneered. "We are but sitting ducks until those bastards launch their next offensive."  
Tyr was a powerful warrior and some accused him of warmongering due to his cruel nature and love for blood sport. He was a high commanding officer in the army and many feared him for his sadist attitude and no tolerance for the 'maiden behaviour.' Tyr was almost exiled for his transgressions against Odin centuries ago. He was a very powerful and respected man and many did well to keep on his good side.

"We are well fortified and protected in this location. The high mountains provide us with a shield for the winds and our men are exhausted. The time for safe recovery and rest would be now or not at all" Thor declared. Their division had moved the quickest and it wouldn't prove to be detrimental whether they took a rest now.  
Tyr had given him a look of high apprehension but said no more to the crown prince. Thor had shouldered past Tyr, his blood red cape billowing behind him as he exited the flapping tent. Thor was immediately greeted with a harsh gust of wind and snow and the campsite was a sufficient size to house many of the wounded and tired soldiers. The rickety tents danced with the winds yet they were staked down into the snow firmly. He noticed a smaller and petite figure approaching him and it was no question of identity. Sif, the only female warrior within the army and none would ever second guess her prowess as a full-fledge soldier.

"I had received report from Volstagg and Hogun supervising the trenches that field is clear of any imposing Jötunn warriors" Sif informed, her voice laced with high levels of respect. Sif was certainly very attractive with her thick, dark hair of charcoal and soft, tanned skin yet Thor could never see her anything less than his comrade and greatest friend. "Frandal is recovering at a frightening pace" she said with a small smirk painted on her face. Thor gave a relieved sigh before offering a grateful chuckle.

"I feel terrible for Eir and her staff" he laughed.

Frandal's injuries hadn't been life-threatening but nonetheless were gruesome, emphasizing the authenticity of this winter war. Fighting a war with the Jotunn's never was an easy feat yet it made it all the more troubling fighting them on their homeland. The climatic advantage was not in their clutches despite Jötunheimr being in its current season of 'summer'.

Thor had questioned the obvious lack of civilized Jötunn towns or villages; it wasn't uncommon for innocents (the issue of a innocent Jötunn was another matter entirely) to be caught within the raging cross fires of war. He was wondering whether the Jötunn beasts actually lived in dug-out burrows or frozen, pitch black caves as the childhood picture books painted them to be. The more reasonable excuse was that they built their civilizations far from the endless wastelands and rather in the calmer regions of Jötunheimr.  
Without the abominable and cruel elements of the realm of the ice giants, the invasion wouldn't have been such a disastrous campaign. Men had fallen simply due to the immediate temperatures.

Thor was determined nonetheless. Ásgarðr was the fiery blade that would penetrate the frozen walls of the ambitious and warmongering Jötunheimr to its icy core.  
The army would march in the early lights of dawn tomorrow, the wounded and injured to remain behind to rest and heal.

☼ ☼ ☼

Thor had felt immense pride watching his fellow warriors march with purpose and the familiar awareness of support gifted to him by his most trust comrades, Sif and the warriors two. Golden armour glistened and drawn swords held high with the promise of bloodshed, powerful hearts pumped at exhilarating rates with the thrill of battle. The Jötunn's prime army had been met in a cold clash of metallic iron. Neither side willing to step down in defeat, determined for victory and the utter annihilation of the other species. Each Jötunn caught Thor's path met a cruel and instant end, skull smashed and brain pierced with the many fragments of broken bone. Compared to the Æsir, Jotnar were still metaphorically speaking - stuck in the stone ages against Asgard's pure steel weaponry. They were a race of nascent Giants adorned with gold and thick furs of arctic animals. Far beyond the battlefield, was the icy pinnacles of Laufey's castle; their main objective.

Out of nowhere a thunderclap sounded throughout the entire realm of snow causing heads to turn to the grey skies; Thor in particular. The skies were painted in a deep bluish grey and clouds had begun to stir unforgivingly as a storm begun to brew. It was not his own power summoning the storms but another's.

"Thor! A sorcerer!" Tyr's voice had warned over the sound of battle. Thor hadn't need his warning eyes falling upon a Jötunn much smaller than the average Frost Giant. The runt was indeed a mage, golden staff in hand summoning the storms upon the Asgardian army. The Jötunn's body was surrounded by a light green aura as his seiðr sparked violently. The storms growled madly rumbling the earth beneath it and Thor was certainly the ground at their feet would suddenly open up. A mage was indeed a great threat to their victory.

Thor stormed forward knocking aside the Jötunn brutes who tried to block his obvious path. A film of rain had begun to fall and it only made things worse; drenching his clothing beneath the sturdy armour. Everything had finally made sense now. The weather conditions mustn't have initially been this harsh but due to the sorcerer's magic, he worsen the temperatures in order to make life even more difficult for the Æsir. The Jötunn race weren't as simple minded as he presumed. The goal was clear now; capture or kill the runt.  
From his position, the runt was about the size of an Æsir, skin painted azure blue and he could scarcely see the intricate patterns that marked the skin. Unlike the Jötunn he had encountered before, the mage actually possessed hair upon his head, long strands of charcoal hair cascaded down his back in a loose braid accompanied by elaborate jewels woven into his hair. The runt's horns were rough, thick, jagged bones protruding from his head and they curled like a ram's. Jötunn's never wore much clothing and the mage was no exception bearing only a long, silk kilt bound by a leather belt, the sides opened up exposing the long limbs. He was adorned with many jewels such anklets, bracelets and necklaces of pure gold. Thor would have taken the time for appreciation but in the middle of a realm war made it an improbable choice.

Thor leapt in the air and brought Mjölnir down hard causing the ground once again to shake under the pressure. He had cleared the way and come face to face with the mage who gave him a dirty snarl. The sorcerer swung his staff and a burst of solid, green seiðr charged at him and Thor clung to his trusty Mjölnir swinging her high in the air. The mage moved with speed unlike any other Jötunn he had faced, using his staff to throw himself in the air following the god of thunder. Thor reeled back in surprise and the mage swung his staff knocking Thor back with an incredible force.

He landed heavily on his feet cracking the ice beneath his weight, recovering quickly to retaliate against the witch. Without the added weight of raw muscle like the rest of his specie, the runt was more agile and tricky, capable of outmaneuvering Thor with the dance of his feet. The conjurer continued his manipulation of the skies, thunder roaring, rain drenching the warriors beneath it, clouds stirring in a wicked whirlwind. Little did the witch realize, he wasn't the only wielder of storms and Thor himself was the only God of Thunder.

Raising Mjölnir to the skies, he felt the familiar thrum of electricity run through his veins calling upon the storms with ease. Thor's immediate re-control over the storm as like taking candy from a baby and the runt looked outraged. The dampening rain had came to an end finally, the piercing winds seemed a little friendlier and Thor had heard the cheers from his warriors as a milestone had been overcome and the thunder clapped loudly.

Once the weather had been clear, it didn't take long for the opposing enemy to be defeated and forced into surrender. Thor easily took the advantage manipulating the thunders in the sky and brought it down to end the sorcerer, almost killing him in the process. The skies darkened with the approaching night and the campaign was a bubbling success, warriors retreating back to the camp in high satisfaction. Mortality was not the case, only serious injuries that could be healed with time. The mage was unexpected yet the campaign had luckily succeed. Even Tyr couldn't mask his pleased expression glancing at the captured runt as if he were a testimony to their success. He was being dragged along by two warriors, muzzled and bound by chains. Thor knew it to be not necessary considering the beating the witch had taken; he was lucky to be alive. The raven hair was disheveled and skin crispy around the golden adornments due to the burns of electrocution.

Odin was awaiting him back at the camp fastened in his official armour and spear Gungnir sitting loose in his grip; his one-eyed gaze was soft in greeting.

"I commend you for a successful campaign" the Allfather addressed. Thor had stepped forward while the army retreated to the resting and healing tents. Odin's hazy blue eye fell upon the captured Jötunn and his expression turned comical. Thor looked back to their blue captive to see if he a changed into a bilgesnipe or anything rather to cause such a reaction from his father. Thor looked confused when Odin turned to him in all seriousness.

"Follow me to a tent... Bring me that Jötunn" was his orders.

Odin had left him, disappearing into the campsite and Thor turned to look at the Jötunn, dismissing his guards with a nod. Fierce blood red eyes glared up at him and Thor felt triumph in defeating such a proud mage. A thick muzzle was latched tightly on the Jötunn's face prohibiting him from speech and calling for its spells of defiance while cuffs of steal bound his hands together.

The aftermath of Thor's final attack left its presence known upon the runt with deep cuts and blackish bruises. The golden jewelry upon his body left a cruel burn from the awful electricity and his hair was now tangled in clumps around his horns. The muzzle seemed to be cutting deep into his cheeks and it looked horribly uncomfortable and itchy. He had brought this creature down to its knees, quite literally.

"Stand"

He only received a hard glare. Whether he was purposely defying him or the runt was physically incapable of standing mattered not to Thor and he hurled the mage up by the collar around his neck and he stood on shaky legs. It seems it was the latter as the runt stumbled forth and Thor held him straight by the golden collar almost choking him. He led the Jötunn through the campsite grounds, his fellow warriors watching with interest as he was pushed into a tent by the angry Thor.

Loki cursed his legs as they betrayed him and he fell unceremoniously onto the floor after Thor tossed him carelessly as if he were a discarded item. His legs trembled from over-exertion and he moved into a more concealing position only to be confronted with a god known as the 'Allfather'; he remembered his father's bitter recounts of a one-eyed king dressed in thick gold and this man seemed to fit the bill. Odin's eye watched him intently and Thor stepped around him to face the king.

"What is it, father?"

He felt the Allfather lean in closer and almost flinched when a large hand came to rest upon his forehead. The palm suddenly began to glide against his forehead, pushing the strands of messy hair out of his face. For a moment he was unsure and confused until Odin's eye seemed to read some unseen text on his face, then he remembered. His birth markings. Loki tore his head out of Odin's grasp, growling in hatred and anger as much as he possible could given the muzzle that bound his lips. Unfortunately, the other man was clever and he understood the patterns upon his face.

It meant he was Laufeyson.

"I never believed it to be true..." Odin whispered beneath the thick, grey beard in somewhat disbelief.

"Father...?"

"There had been stories that Laufey had a third son, younger and smaller among the others; a runt. I thought it to be just a rumour since Heimdallr could never see him... The explicit runes upon his face tell a very different tale; Loki Laufeyson"

"This runt is a powerful sorcerer" Thor explained to his father, as if Loki himself wasn't present in the room. "He manipulated the weather against us"

"I figured something as much. Jötunheimr shouldn't have been as fierce in this season." Odin confirmed and he turned back to Loki. "It is a wonder how you have been hidden for so long"

Odin reached down and ripped up the chain holding his hands together and Loki stumbled. Odin looked as old as an ancient fossil but his physical power was a clear contrast to that image. A sudden vibe had begun to drum beneath his skin, searing and hot and Loki hissed an insult but his words were undignified. Thor seemed to watch in awe and enjoyment as a complicated series of runes crawled along the iron cuffs and Loki immediately recognized the sensation known as seiðr seep through him. Odin's seiðr. He was sealing his magic in a binding spell as the cuff's became enriched with Odin's awful seiðr, turning the iron into pure gold. It left a vile itch against his cool skin.

"You may remove his muzzle, I have bound his seiðr. He is unable to spew any more wickedness from those lips" Odin Allfather clarified.

Thor was upon him in an instant just as intimidating as he were on the bloody battlefield. Thick arms curled around his head, unlocking the muzzle from his jaw line and peeling it off painfully; there was a resounding click that cut through the heavy silence.

"Son of Laufey, I am giving you an option" Odin addressed him, voice thick and powerful. "To end this war. Persuade Laufey into surrender and end this useless slaughter. Be recognized as the hero who prevented the unnecessary death of many. Convince your father that the war is lost and ensure us Jötunheimr's unconditional surrender. In return you'll will be granted freedom and honour."

"...Or you'll be faced into servitude, remain bound in chains as a prisoner guilty of war crimes. Treated as a slave opposed to a respected prince, stripped of your title and magic to appear even weaker than a feeble mortal."

Loki almost lost himself to a fit of laughter but his senses told him it wouldn't be the wisest of choices. To lead Jötunheimr to its ultimate demise as a traitor to his homeland and to be seen as a hero upon the realm of his enemies or to become a war trophy. It had to make it into his list of top 5 craziest and absurd questions ever asked.  
"I would rather perish within the hellish flames of Muspelheim than to aid Ásgarðr's huglausi genocide, Borson!" Loki spat with all he could muster. The damned Allfather seemed to have predicted his answer, nodding and turning to his son indifferently.

"Do as you will to him" Odin granted before taking a quick exit.

With his seiðr bound tightly along with his wrists Loki couldn't find the will power to remain proud and confident. Thor was powerful and he was not stupid enough to test that, at the present moment.

"If being a war prisoner is what you desire, then I shall grant you your wish" Thor growled, moving towards him as a predator would do to his prey.

Thor reached out and grabbed him by the left horn and wrenched him to his feet. Loki held back as gasp at the bold move reaching up to claw at Thor's thick, hot wrist, feeling his horn practically crumble under the force as Thor pulled him from the tent. The sudden winter air did little to comfort his troubled and racing heart while he was stumbling over his own feet as Thor dictated the pace, having to stand on the tip of his toes to match Thor's height. He caught a glimpse of many Æsir faces within the camp sneering and watching him with a sick interest. Small wolf-like animals barked in his direction obviously put on edge by his Jötunn appearance; trained to tear his kind apart.

He was suddenly tossed to the snow but before he could even think of the idea of escaping, the big bag of muscles hurled him up by his chains to the metal pole that was embedded into the snow's surface. He felt utterly humiliated as he was forced into a degrading situation, forced up against the frozen pole, arms straining and kneeling uncomfortably. Thor had curled his chain around the pole as if he were some domestic pet to be kept outside, but he wasn't. He was a Jötunn put on public display for the Æsir's enjoyment to no doubt to face the many taunts and vicious mockery. Loki snarled baring his canines in contempt.

"You may hiss and growl all you wish Jotun but your predicament will only worsen."

"Vámr níðingr Áss!"

Loki should have known better but digging a deeper hole for himself seemed to be a habit he couldn't quite shake off. Thor captured his face with a tight grip and Loki wished he could burn those fingers off with the frostbite but those damned cuffs around his wrists made it impossible; sealing his natural ability.

"Learn your place Loki or I will sew your lips shut" Thor spat in his face and for the first time he felt a pang of fear jolt through him.

His eyes met with Thor's cold, turquoise glare at the threat and Thor held his face in place to emphasize his point and no doubt to intimidate him. Thor's husky breath was hot upon his cool face and it made his stomach twist. Thor was indeed handsome -for an Ásgardian- with a powerful build that was twice the size of his own, quite ironic considering Loki was supposed to be the 'giant' here. He had a scruffy beard upon his face like most Æsir men but it was cut neatly unlike his wretched father. His hair was like strands of silky gold that reached down to his enormous shoulders and Loki shuddered. The god was massive and sinfully desirable.

Thor's eyes remained on him for a fleeting moment, more importantly focusing upon his dried lips and Loki subconsciously licked them. Something flickered in those cerulean eyes before Thor suddenly pulled back, finally releasing him and Loki felt the burst of frozen air. Without another glance Thor just left him there, chained and shamed. Loki tugged the bounds experimentally to test the restraints but they remained persistent and stubborn.

It was clear that the bonds refused to break under his power and he slumped against the chains, knees covered in snow and hands held high above him against the cool metal. His struggles had caught the attention of a few warriors within the camp boundaries and he sneered stubbornly at them. He scanned the area, noticing large tents and pits of fire. He wasn't sure where the camp was located in Jotunheimr but he could see the high mountain hills surrounding the camp area. Loki slumped against the frozen pole, exhausted yet he refused to fall within the clutches of sleep.

☼ ☼ ☼


	2. Endurance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who left comments and Kudos.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts!

"If he refuses we will kill the runt and hand over its dead corpse." Tyr commanded, tossing his empty goblet at the tent wall.

Odin grumbled unmoved by the warrior's rage. He never thought twice when it came to slaying a guilty Jötunn but it made a difference knowing the runt was helpless and currently a threat to no one but himself. It became more problematic when noticing how young the Jötunn actually was; technically he was still just a boy. It did not sit well with him considering he was a father of two. Laufey was a stubborn and ruthless man on the battlefield but it did not initially mean he was a terrible and heartless father. Laufey hid him from the all-seeing gaze of Heimdallr for a reason and he could only guess that it was to protect him. He must own some concern for the child he gave life to.

"The runt was responsible for the death of many! With him now bound in chains and seiðr sealed the storm has lifted and the weather has calmed significantly"

"We are not killing him" Thor countermanded him, entering the tent without so much as a knock.

Tyr and Odin stood among the few remaining army generals looking tense in conflict as usual when he had entered. All heads turned to his direction and he moved into the room where the desk was situated with several maps and papers scattered along it.

"He is to remain our prisoner until this war is over and his fate shall be decided at the trials. This shall not be discussed furthermore." Thor left no room for objection and Odin spared him a glance of relief in having that issue resolved. Tyr looked impossibly mad and Thor shouldered past him. "Our main concern is to capture Laufey's kingdom"

"My lord, we have only a few rough drafts and we can make no further advancements until Balder's army arrives." Eindride explained.

"How long till his anticipated arrival"

"One night and day" Eindride once again answered.

"That'll leave us enough time" Thor concluded.

Thankfully, the gathering was ended just as quickly as Thor had interrupted it. From the previous campaign all but mere hours ago everyone was after a good reprieve to recover and regain strength; all except Tyr probably. Thor had excused himself when only his father and Tyr remained and he was greeted was a blast of frozen air. It was not as harsh as the previous days considering Loki's control over the environment was now non-existent. The frozen winds suddenly became more bearable.

Thor was headed straight to the warmth of his own tent, eyes searching in the dark for the Jötunn captive. When he had passed the iron stake, he noticed the small, limp silhouette hanging from the pole like a lifeless doll, relieved to see that he had not somehow escaped. Watching as the blue shoulders softly rose and fell and Thor realized him to be asleep. His position look terribly uncomfortable and there was a slight shiver as ice and snow clung to his skin. His gaze lingered for a moment before tearing them away and marching to his own tent without a further thought.

☼ ☼ ☼

Generally, Loki was a patient person. He could spend hours upon hours reading a book of folklore, history or sorcery and perhaps even meditate for a couple of days without agitation. Remaining in one spot for a period of time would have seemed to be like second nature to him but this was not this was not the case. Loki had a long list of discomforts. His arms were aching, wrists breaking and skin bruising from the metal chains. His shoulder blades felt like they would pop out of place and his knees by now had gone numb from the constant contact with the frozen snow and ice. His sore neck was stiff from the uncomfortable position he had been in while asleep and it cracked with each movement. He was growing hungrier with each passing hour and he was spitefully offered nothing but the snow to eat; that option was looking more appealing as time flew by.

It had been the passing of two moons before the Áss army decided to attend to any of his needs. A large man appeared before him, he was never touched by any of the Æsir; they observed and taunted from a distance but never touched. The man was adorned still in his battle attire of golden armour and thick winter furs, from the looks of it, he must of been a high commander in the army. Loki really didn't pay too much attention to the man's appearance rather than the strong, metal pole he held in his large hand and from it dangled a chain and golden collar. The man presented him with a dirty grin that promised unimaginable things.

"Time to take the pet for a walk" the man's voice made Loki sick to his stomach.

Before removing his bound hands, the Æsir lashed forward and clamped the collar around his throat and Loki was in no position to slice the man's throat as he wanted to. He fastened the collar to the point where Loki was choking to breathe and he finally released his hands. His bones cracked loudly and Loki fell on his front clumsily, tasting the snow on his teeth. He growled out and the burn of humiliation was immense as the entire camp grew silent to watch the scene. His new captor tugged on his collar and Loki immediately rose to his knees to prevent suffocation and the man pulled him along.

The thought of the Æsir actually killing him suddenly became a realistic fear and he was led out past the campsite. The man hadn't said another word to him until they had came upon his desired location and Loki noticed nothing in particular. The area was isolated and rocky planes emerged from the snow as small mountains of stone. For the sole purpose of intimidation, the man knocked him forward harshly and Loki scrambled to keep his skirt in place and hide his dignity.

"Unless you wish to do your business in front of the entire campsite I would not waste my time here." the man finally spoke beneath the scruffy beard.

Loki at first was confused by his words but the tall man only smirked harder. His hands suddenly went to his own pants and pretended to pull them down in a act to demonstrate Loki of what he was meaning. Loki was not naive and his face flushed a dark shade at the realization. In fear of further mockery from the soldiers, he had been denying his body it's natural cycle; who wouldn't? He wasn't going to wallow in his own mess especially while he still maintained his own dignity.

The situation was disgusting but without his seiðr, he was just as incapable as a mortal; unable to deny his body needs no longer. Loki's own ruby eyes met with his captive in a fixed glare but the man was indifferent and Loki knew the he wasn't going to give him the comfort of privacy; even staked to the pole, evening guards patrolled the nights.

"Bastard..." Loki growled

The only encouragement he could gather was one pair of eyes are much better than five hundred sets he reasoned. The tension of his leash never wavered and Loki tore his eyes away in defeat. He tried to ignore the smug grin from the corner of his eye and worked on kicking his skirt out from under him so he would not spoil his clothing and to physically remain as decent as possible.

He would not succumb.

☼ ☼ ☼

The man was true to his words and led him back to the camp without delay. Loki allowed himself to be chained to the stake once again but this man instead of chaining his bound hands, he used the chain to his collar and Loki was silently grateful for the position gave him greater access of movement though he knew the man had not intended his comfort. His humiliation however hadn't changed in the slightest, those ignorant and bold would approach with mocking taunts and knock at his horns but Loki would just shake them off like incessant flies. There were the silent curious men that would watch with an interested gaze and those who never attempted to approach him.

Again his day went on as usual, the wasted hours passing by undisturbed until a commotion had finally arisen. Soft murmurs had erupted into yells of motive which had caught his attention as soldiers had begun to group together. Suddenly Thor had stormed his way through the crowd with a few warriors by his side. The impassioned warrior Tyr was with him and Thor was talking to a smaller warrior and Loki realized it to be a female Asgardian; unlike Jötunn, the Æsir were separated in gender. To Loki's knowledge he had thought Asgardian laws forbid their females to fight. Fortunately for Jötunheimr, they knew no bounds.

It only took Loki a moment to locate the base of the excitement; just past the conical tents he could see the east horizon where a army approach. A gleam of hope passed through him, wishing for the familiar wave of snow that would accompany a large group of Jötunn's but he instead received a burst of humid air; an approaching Asgardian division. Loki realized in horror.

No!

No, no, no NO!

Those Æsir bastards had another offensive; a second offensive division! His father had not predicted such and they were entirely unaware of a war on this scale. The god of thunder stood tall to greet the newcomers. A large man, similar to Thor in build but his hair was clean short and a dark earthy shade. Loki had to strain his ears to hear over the music of the wind and Odin had made his appearance, as grand as ever. Silence fell upon the men and even the winds came to a quiet whisper.

"Baldr"

Baldr, the second son of Odin and commander of the second offensive. He had to find a way to escape and return to the castle; he had to tell his father that they were so wrong. Also without his seiðr to power Jötunheimr's winter, they were at a disadvantage. The conversation was muffled in which Loki could not decipher.

The night was ascending and the wounded were taken into the medical tents while Thor was leading Baldr to a location Loki know not where. Thor had passed him, blood red cape following behind gracefully and their eyes had met for just a split second. Thor had regarded him in the slightest before disappearing behind the flaps of some tent, Baldr in tow. The remaining men had gathered around the large campfire, resting on fallen logs. The darkness of night crawled over the skies finalizing the end of the day and there had been no commotion. Thor was a rare sight, cooped up in that tent no doubt preparing techniques for the next battle.

The early hours of the night left Loki no different from before; helpless, tired, hungry and agitated. The list could go on and on. He willed himself awake until most of the soldiers had retired to their tents and exhaustion had begun to consume him. Even the Æsir wolf-like pets dare not disturb the silence. He embraced the bittersweet darkness and the night was at peace.

It was in the depths of his sleep where he became aware of strange sensations against his body. Feeling sluggish as if he were trapped within a nightmare, he awoke to hot, labored breathing against his cheek and burning appendages roaming over his body as if it were a canvas. It took Loki a moment to rip himself into conscious and recognize the situation he was in. A large man was knelt down behind him and Loki could not catch a glimpse of his face, only the patch of raven hair in the corner of his eye. The man's stench was foul much like all Asgardians and Loki gasped in disgust. Before he could make any more sounds, a large palm covered his mouth and Loki could taste dirt and blood on his skin.

"Do not make a sound" the man threatened, voice thickened with vigor

He couldn't if he even tried, the man was suffocating him in physical state and foul stench. The gold collar bound around his neck left him breathless and he was struggling to find leverage in this position. The man's palm came to rest against his stomach and Loki felt real fear and he bit at whatever skin he could reach but the man just grunted his annoyance and moved his arm around his neck in a choke hold. The man began to fiddle with the rope necklace around his neck that hung low. The necklace was truly special and held his amethyst stone in which was given to him by his dam. The man had glanced at the necklace but paid it no heed and with a flick of his wrist tore the necklace and broke the string. Without a care in the world, he tossed it into the snow and Loki swallowed, trying to control his beating heart.

Loki truly felt helpless, his seiðr was stolen from him and he unable to fight against this man. He felt tears prickle at his eyes but they refused to fall and he was almost ready to pass out from lack of oxygen; he couldn't scream out even if he was shameless enough to.

Once the man was deemed satisfied with his position he trailed a hand down Loki's front and beneath his kilt. His whole body stiffened and felt his heartbeat increase with worry. He could feel those hot fingers against his most intimate area and he closed his eyes. The man was going to find out. His fingers suddenly came to a stop just behind his male genitals and Loki tried to ignore the man's chuckle at his finding.

"So the stories are true. An ice maiden"

The man became more bold and confident, fingering the small folds that had been hidden and Loki panicked renewing his struggles. The man was pushing his body too close and he could feel his hard on pressing against him. He was able to move his head forward and he did the only thing he could think of. Powerless without his arms, seiðr and frostbite, he reeled his head back, aiming his horns blindly and he hoped he didn't miss his target. Loki knew his success when the man let out the most horrifying and deafening scream as he fell back into the snow, releasing Loki.

Fueled with fear and adrenalin he reached for his chains, tugging at them desperately. The sounds of the dogs barking in alarm frightened him and it would be mere seconds before the entire campus awoke to find him in this situation. He could see the man's body lifeless in the frozen snow and his eye socket was entirely gouged in with blood overflowing and a large, deep gash along the other side of his face. From the looks of it, the man's brain had been pierced and there was no saving him and the Æsir would no doubt kill him for this; they would burn him on the stake. The chain was stubborn and Loki could hear the confused and concerned voices of the warriors who had heard the scream.

"Please, please, please" he chanted desperately to the chain, mentally willing it to snap and set him free.

Thick blood from his horns dribbled down onto his back and Loki could see the orange light of torches being lit. With one last hope, he pulled on it with all his strength and finally the chain had given way and granted him a chance at freedom. He fell onto his back right next to the mutilated face of his attempted rapist and without a care for the man, he pulled himself to his feet and desperately searched the snow for his discarded necklace. Once the purple stone had been spotted, he snatched it up greedily and ran as if his life depended on it; well his life did depend on it.

His own legs were shaky like thin twigs threatening to snap at any second but he forced them to carry his body along the frozen wasteland. He almost tripped over himself multiple times in desperation but finally he had escaped that stake and the world he knew before imprisonment was a beautiful memory he was determined to relive. He could hear the shouts back at the camp and he guessed they had found the mess he had created.

His labored and heavy breathing came out in puffs of white fog and he wondered if his lungs would freeze with the amount of frosty air he was inhaling. Loki chased the horizon and without the help of his enchantments, it made it all the more worse. He was no faster than what his own two feet could carry him; he hoped the small, isolated trees somewhat aided in hiding his silhouette at night.

The voices grew louder and more coherent and Loki's heart sank. The moon was watching him in pity and thankfully called over the clouds to hide its shining light to aid him in any way possible. The necklace was still in his palm and he was holding it so tight as if it would give him the strength he needed to survive this. He had quickly approached one of the largest trees and due to his nature of sharp and rounded claws, he was able to climb the tree's surface with agility even with his hands bound. He clung to the branch and stilled his breathing as a few Asgardian men dashed past with two of those hairy and vicious beasts leading the way. He gave it a moment before climbing down and heading in a different direction.

His path had led him to a river bank and Loki considered crossing it or following the river downstream but before he made that choice he was painfully knocked to the floor. Loki had let out an undignified yelp and his eyes glued to the perpetrator. Eyes as blue as the river itself stared back at him with the intensity of a blazing wildfire. Thor, he realized with dread and Loki swallowed.

Thor had tackled him and Loki fought to escape but the thunderer was successful in pining him into the dirty, wet snow. Tears welled up in his eyes at his failure and misery. He wanted to beg the warrior to free him but he was unable to form a plea and he turned his head away in shame and despair, unwilling to plainly expose such weakness. Thor ignored his distress and knocked his head to the side and grabbed his left horn and stared at it. It was clear, the blood that covered his horn was like a red overcoat and there was no denying it.

"You are lucky that I found you and not Tyr" Thor mumbled indifferently. "He probably would have finished the job"

Loki froze at his words, trying to comprehend what he just meant. Did Thor know that the man was trying to rape him? Didn't he have the right to self-defense? It probably didn't matter. They were in war, Loki was the prisoner and he had just murdered one of their warriors. A moment of silence followed afterwards and Loki turned to look at Thor questionably but the Thunderer was just staring at him; the same way when Thor had first chained him up to the stake. Loki couldn't decipher what he saw in those pools of sapphire - mercy, hate, anger, sympathy, lust? 

Probably all of the above.

Thor ripped him to his feet and Loki was too exhausted and dejected allowing himself to be dragged back to that hellish camp. Thor seemed pleased with his compliance and Loki felt his inners shatter when those horrid tents came into view sitting comfortably on the horizon. When they had made it back, the entire campsite was in action and the warriors greeted him with a filthy stare. He felt more exposed and vulnerable as he was walked past the crowd. The bonds around his neck and wrists felt heavier with burden and Thor tugged on the chain. Thor was leading him to the stake and he could still see the rotting body in the snow stained with blood.

"Thor!" a voice had bellowed so angrily.

Loki jerked to the call and saw a tall man approaching, looking murderous and furious. Loki's eyes casted down to the long knife held in one of his hands.

"Tyr" Thor greeted smoothly.

Thor pulled him to a halt and shockingly stood in front of Loki, somewhat protectively. Tyr was an impossibly large man with medium raven hair that was held in two thick plaits with a golden band hanging from each. Upon his arms were encased in a thick, embroidered braces. Thor had seemingly saw the weapon in his available hand and gave a sigh.

"You will not kill him" Thor ordered.

Tyr came face-to-face with Thor unfazed and armed.

"I understand that we are not killing him. But his actions warrants punishments. He has murdered one of our own and I demand there to be consequences" Tyr demanded and many other warriors cheered their agreements with Tyr and Loki looked at Thor worryingly whether Thor would agree to this. Tyr raised his blade and turned to look at Loki with a victorious glare. "I demand his horns as payment"

At those words, Loki's face paled and his heart froze. A cruel smirk crawled over the man's feature and Loki mustered an angry sneer at the man. Thor was silent and Loki could guess that he was considering his options. Thor's grip on the chain became much more firmer and Loki tried to back away but he was unmoved. To lose his horns would be the greatest humility- for any Jötunn. Horns were often seen as a testimony to their strength and worth. To lose it held the same importance of losing a limb. Loki could only guess how much Jötunn horns would sell in Ásgarðr's black market or how they would just turn into a trophy for the Æsir.

"Those horns are dangerous and we have proof of it. As punishment he deserves to have them sliced from his skull"

"It can kill him" Thor replied simply. To remove horns from the skull of a Jötunn often they required medical attention immediately after wards due to the blood vessels and nerves at the base of the horn. Removing a Jötunn's horns was something they practiced during interrogation as a last resort. Hacking at the bone often resulted in bleeding, fractures to the skull and many head injuries.

Thor's decision was clear. He was not going to harm him in such a way that could kill him. He wanted him alive.

"Then what justice is there for the warrior who was murdered tonight!" Tyr yelled vengefully

"The runt will be punished accordingly" Thor growled.

"Then make it so!" Tyr threatened. "Or have you yourself been bewitched by the sorcerer"

Tyr taunts were obvious and Loki mentally cursed that damned warrior. He did not want to provoke Thor's wrath but the camp was determined to see him suffer and he knew Thor didn't actually care for his wellbeing- only his survival so that they could use him as a bargaining chip against Laufey. Other than keeping him alive, Thor had no other concerns for him. Loki had to depend on Thor if he wanted to live through this

"Fetch the pen" Thor commanded to the crowd and a few soldiers scurried to do his bidding. At Thor's words, the warriors had cheered.

Nervously Loki glanced around and it looked like the warriors were closing in on him and their sneers and smirks haunted him. Unexpectedly Thor reached out and grabbed his horn and twisted him forward sharply. It became a real fear that Thor might turn on his word and snap off his horns but the Thunder god pushed him through the crowd and Loki could see the large wood fire in his path. He was powerless to deter Thor's path and he was carried straight over to the blazing heat. The chants and cheers were loud and incessant and Thor pulled him with ease. Loki reached out in utter fear as Thor almost threw him into the fire's embrace.

He could feel the burn on the back of his legs and Loki struggled to hang onto Thor as he hung him over the burning flames. His own skin felt like it were melting, the heat was unbearable and he couldn't mask his scream. Behind Thor stood the cheering Ásgardian army and Tyr who wore a satisfied smirk watching the punishment with joy. His azure skin turned a hellish red and began to spot with bruises. The golden adornments around his ankles and thighs had begun to heat up and blacken his flesh. His vision had grown blurry and he could only watch Thor's face. The god's face was cold and devoid of emotion and Loki saw no enjoyment. When he thought he would pass out Thor threw him to the snow and away from the hateful fire. The snow did little to ease the burning pain that marred his skin. He wasn't able to focus his gaze but a warrior had brought forth a metal cage, one that would house a rabid beast.

He had tried to sink into the ice and some soldiers were kicking snow at his face but he couldn't find the strength to flinch away. Thor had lifted him by his hair, strands almost tearing from the roots and his face scrunched in pain. Insults were hurled at him and Thor pushed his body into the cage provided. This was his supposed 'pen.' The metal wiring was thick and hot, heated by the fire nearby. Loki complied and allowed Thor to cage him inside if that put an end to him being thrown around, manhandled and set fire to.  
He curled up and tried to block out the horrid voices. His head was ringing and body screaming in pain. The Jötunn body couldn't deal with high temperatures, designed for the arctic and he felt like he was being cooked alive. The torture was prolonged deep into the night until the savages had their fill of entertainment and their vengeful hearts finally satisfied. Thor had disappeared earlier but Tyr remained throughout the entire ordeal, watching him with a never-faltering smirk.

Loki had passed out that night.


	3. For Peace

When Thor had awoken the next morning, his head was aching. He woke in the early hours of the morning where the winds were soft and freezing with the early sun hidden behind that always cloudy sky. Many warriors still lay in their tents at such an hour especially due to the late night event that left the men eager for rest. He had left his tent rugged up in thick winter furs to combat the cold. The camp was covered in a blanket of hazy fog and it looked like the large campfire had been put out only a few hours ago. He saw the small cage situated by the side and he walked up curiously, wondering whether the small runt was still alive.

When he approached, Loki was still in the same huddled position, resting his head on his forearm and raven hair sprayed out messily. His right horn was sticking out through the metal cage and his position looked horribly uncomfortable. The metal wire had left small indents against the Jötunn's seemingly fragile skin and along his legs were a canvas of blue and black bruising contrasting against his birth runes. Loki's face looked almost peaceful in his sleep but his breathing pattern contradicted that thought as he was still panting profusely in his sleep.

"I had missed the entire commotion" came a soft voice behind him. The voice sounded almost thankful rather than disappointed.

Thor hadn't turned to the intruder but he smiled at the voice. Baldr came to stand by his side eyes casted down to the caged sorcerer.

"You have had a long trip, I do not fault you" Thor replied.

"Father also was not aware of the event last night?"

"I... It was a controlled situation." He could see Baldr nod slowly in the corner of his eye. There was no need to wake Odin. There was a heavy feeling in his gut and he tried to force it down. "He had killed one of our warriors. He had to be punished"

"I had researched his kind when I was studying Jötunheimr; they are called Frostfemme- among other titles." Baldr informed, dismissing Thor's reasoning for such severity. "They are a rare oddity on Jötunheimr but indeed cherished. I could only understand that our men must have been curious about his unique biology. It is said that they are both maiden and warrior."

Thor froze at his words and his mouth moved in comprehension but nothing came out. Baldr had seen when Loki was bound to the stake and it was obvious that someone would have had to approach him from behind in order for him to retaliate as such. The healer must have recounted the injury to Baldr and Thor had already seen it for himself. He was pierced through the left eye and it burrowed through to the brain, killing him immediately; the right side of his face had been slice open by the other horn barely missing his other eye.

"Laufey hid him for a reason and it's hard to believe he was allowed on the battlefield." Thor wondered. Baldr looked at him for a minute.

"What are you saying?"

"I don't believe Loki was given permission to participate in that battle." Thor pondered. "Laufey took tremendous care in hiding Loki's existence to the point where even Heimdallr could not even detect him. Why would he sacrifice all the effort of hiding him only expose him in such a trivial campaign?"

"I believe that we may have a trickster in our hands" Baldr replied.

"Possibly"

By the time breakfast was announced, Thor had been summoned to his father's tent. Baldr was already present when Thor had entered and Odin looked weary. Odin hadn't left his tent since yesterday and he probably had known what had happened to Loki when he awoke this morn; Thor wouldn't be surprised. Heimdallr was Odin's third eye. Baldr wore a thick belt that allowed him to carry multiple tools and rolled scrolls and he had many papyri scattered on the desk displaying drafts for the final campaign against Laufey's forces.

"You wished to see me?" Thor greeted.

"The designs have been drafted and overseen. I want you to memorize these maps into your mind" Odin instructed.

"Verily" Thor replied and Baldr rolled up one of the designs and handed it to him.

"I will let you know of any changes to the plan." Baldr smiled.

Thor nodded and glanced down at the draft. Small new areas had been uncovered on the map which had been discovered by the second division during their campaign. The designs showed a frontal attack against Laufey's palace led by the first platoon then followed by Baldr's division; the third and fourth support divisions then would surround the citadel.

"And what of the runt?" Thor questioned.

"I have sent word to Laufey. He is to meet with me in two days to discuss the fate of his son"

"Good, I will accompany you"

"That is fine Thor, Laufey has requested that we bring Loki"

"What?!"

"He demands proof of Loki's well being"

"Our word is good enough!" Thor demanded, arching up. "This could all be a plot to steal Loki back. He is powerful and without him Jötunheimr will suffer."

"For all Laufey's cunning and wit, he is honorable. I have fought with him for many many years and that man is not a coward. He will play by the rules of war" Odin spoke with such experience.

Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr had been at war for longer than he can remember. In his father's great library, there was a children's book and he recounted with great memory of Odin's father, Bor upon a giant Jötunn army. They had been at each other's throats for centuries and Odin decided that it was time to end the conflict. Jötunheimr was to surrender or they would cripple the realm. Odin was to pass on his crown in the near future and he didn't want to hand over Ásgarðr neck deep in the bloody waters of war; to finally end the tradition of war and rivalry.

☼ ☼ ☼

The smell of burning flesh had woken Loki from his fitful sleep and he jumped in surprise. His horn was stuck through the metal wiring and he couldn't move around to free him. The cage wasn't large enough for the comfort of moving or stretching his limbs. When his eyes had cracked open, the large fire was already lit and warriors sitting by it feasting. The skies were painted charcoal black and the night was welcoming. This was the first time he was able to sleep for a period of time, being caged meant that he was spared from most assaults. Loki was shocked when he affirmed that the cooking meat was not his own flesh but meats for the Æsir. Unlike the Æsir, his own kind preferred meals frozen and thus equipped with the necessary canines. Loki had known from an early stage that he was unique and queer, he who never partook in the consumption of meat. Loki depended on his health through mental, physical and spiritual sense in which provided him his magic. The stench of burning flesh was foul and Loki felt his innards clench as if heaving to throw up. Hunger was beating him to death and not once did he falter.

Thor was among the men, slouching next to Baldr who looked at him every now and then but Loki couldn't find the strength to care. The heat from the fire was aggravating the burns from last night leaving him bothered and sweaty. He was able to lay in silence until a shadowy figure had approached him. Loki tilted his head slightly to identify the intruder and the orange light lit up the man's features. It was Thor.

The Thunderer dropped down to one knee and Loki watched with tired eyes. He held out a slab of red meat that was still sizzling and dripping fat; it took Loki all he had not to gag in disgust. He had clicked the cage and the small opening was lifted up.

"Here" was all he said.

Despite his prolonged hunger, Loki did not falter and the slab of red meat was less than appealing. He had been days without food and he resorted to eating snow for nourishment. Loki turned his face away and Thor had realized Loki's refusal, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"You will eat, sorcerer" Thor then demanded and pushed the meat through the opening. Loki shook his head and the foul scent was appalling. He did not wish to seem stubborn but his intentions were far less offensive then Thor guessed. "Your arrogance will do you no good Jötunn. If you refuse to eat, I will force it down your throat!"

"No!" Loki growled when Thor pushed the steak piece against his face. Thor had only pulled back for a moment in question so that he could explain himself. Loki took a minute to calm and he looked at the fire. The other men were occupied in their own business singing shanties and feasting as he looked back to Thor. "I... will not"

It was hard to speak and his choice seemed like his greatest weakness. He was a prisoner in the Æsir camp and the golden son Thor was offering him sustenance; even Thor looked at him in utter confusion. Thor waited for an explanation, anything but Loki remained silent. When he had looked back to Thor, the Ásgardians expression was cold like frozen steel.

"You can and you will" Thor dropped the ration into his cage and shut the small opening with anger. "Do not test me Loki, you will finish that by next morn or you will face my rage"

With that being said Thor marched back over to his respective seat and didn't bother to wait for the response he knew he would not receive. After that Thor had gave him no word for the rest of the night and he slowly drifted into the deep throes of sleep; Thor's threat lingering in the back of his mind.

☼ ☼ ☼

It only took Loki to be chained up as prisoner and seiðr sealed for him to actually realize that his whole body depended on his natural gift. Everything from stamina and strength to fatigue and hunger; to the point where he could survive days without food happily and comfortably. He had become weaker... slower. His enchantments were no more. He had been able to run with the winds but now his legs were sluggish and heavy. Fatigue had never been an issue for him. Odin's threat was true and now it was real.

Loki was ripped from his sleep to a violent scene with Thor above his cage, fury written all over his features. Thor's gaze was upon the meat he had left there last night and it sat frozen in snow. He had felt his heart skip a beat as Thor leaned in closer to the cage with a scowl.

"If all you want to do is defy me then I will oblige you." Thor's voice was like venom.

With all his might, Thor ripped him from the safety of his cage and slammed him onto the ground. Loki let out a terrified yelp and Thor kept the pressure on his chest, almost burying him in the snow. Fatigue had weakened his body but he did what he could to make Thor's job more difficult by flailing pathetically. The chains around his wrists kept him immobile and useless and it was impossible to stop the imposing Thunderer.

It was only a moment later when he saw Thor reach for the discarded piece of flesh and held it to his face forcibly. Loki choked and the flesh was shoved into his mouth and down his throat. It tasted burnt and foul and he gagged. Thor's expression held no remorse giving him the option to swallow the meal whole or experience suffocation at its finest. Loki fought back by digging his claws into Thor's forearm and kicking at whatever he could. The lack of oxygen became a concerning issue and Loki eventually surrendered to Thor's will when the man refused to cease his abuse.

Loki bit into the meat, his sharp teeth tearing the piece apart but he couldn't find the strength to swallow. Unfortunately Thor was there to aid him and the man shoved two fat fingers down his throat forcing it down. It was a horrible feeling as he heaved hopelessly and Loki couldn't help the strange uprising in his empty stomach. Thor had pulled back in time just before Loki hurled up the remaining contents in his stomach. His face had been covered in his own mess and Thor had looked at him with a shocked expression. Loki's cheek was smeared in vomit and he finally regained some composure before Thor tore him to his feet.

His legs felt useless to him but Thor pulled him along regardless. His body was working too slow and his vision was blurred by the tears that welled up inside. He had been led out of the camp but his sense of direction was disorientated. The walk wasn't too far and Loki was surprised when he was tossed into a freezing lake of water. It was unexpected and he wasn't prepared for such an action and he sunk right to the lake's bed until Thor lifted him back to the water's surface.

Relief had washed over his body like a tide, soothing his burnt and bruised skin. The lake swept away the dirt and grime carrying it down stream and Loki's gratitude was short lived. Thor had shoved him beneath the surface and his rough hands scrubbed against his face to remove the filth. He had taken in a breath and water filled his lungs within a matter of seconds and only after his struggles had begun to weaken did Thor allow him air. He felt like a rag doll against Thor who held little regard for his body.  
Thankfully, Thor didn't waste too much time and when he was deemed clean enough he was taken back to that miserable camp to suffer more humiliation.

☼ ☼ ☼

The metal of his chains clinked softly as he kneeled against the shaky, wooden floorboards. Once again he was graced with that damned silver muzzle that left his jaw aching. The small carriage was pulled by two large, powerful stallions who fought against the current of wind. Thor and his bastard father, along with four other Ásgardian men who sat among them rested upon the wooden bench while he was forced to kneel like a dog. The vast plains were fields of white snow with the occasional tree off in the distance. There was nothing special about the wilderness in Jötunheimr but its glory lie with the palaces and its surrounding villages. Common houses were mostly built with wood and ice; where there was wealth, gold was plentiful.

As Loki was no fool, he could only guess that Odin had accepted his father's proposal for peace and dragging along Thor was to teach him the ways of foreign diplomacy. The travel was prolonged and Loki itched with anticipation as the frozen gates of Laufey's kingdom parted to grant the convoy access. Loki was pleased to notice the familiar row of faces that belonged to his father's army. As the carriage past the many Jötunns, he saw the expressions of anger and hatred- directed to his captors. The courtyard was full of awaiting soldiers and they dutifully allowed the carriage to pass safely, to the palace.

The carriage came to a halt and two recognizable squires attended to the Ásgardian horses. Loki's eyes drifted to the entrance and Býleistr stood at the base of the stairs to greet his greatest enemy and younger brother. Odin Borson stood from his seat clad in golden armor and descended off the cart and Thor made a scene to pull Loki off the carriage. Loki straightened himself quickly as Thor held a hand to his chains. Býleistr looked to Loki immediately to determine his health before addressing Odin himself.

"King Odin, Laufey is awaiting your presence in the throne room." Býleistr greeted.

"Then lead us" Odin replied. Býleistr was the second son of Laufey and Loki being the youngest. His bloody red eyes held the same fierce flame that Loki's eyes had, the same flame that sparked in Laufey's eyes. Býleistr nodded respectfully before turning on his heel. Two of his guards remained outside the palace with the carriage while the other two followed them inside. The ice halls of the palace were lined with molded, rich gold and the roofs stretched high enough as if to allow room for the giant Ymir himself. Thor looked around in awe as if not believing the Jötunn's capable of such architecture but Odin himself knew better than that; the many years he spent trying to tear down stubborn and powerful Jötunn fortresses. Loki was led with a sour expression, his frown was somewhat masked by the muzzle but those deep ruby eyes told a very clear story.

Massive antique door stood at the end of the hall which automatically opened as they neared. Býleistr led them in without hesitation and two guards stood at the doors, holding them open. Odin had entered the Throne room when Laufey stood at the bottom of the stairs to the ice throne. Odin could clearly identify the Jötunn beside Laufey to be Helblindi, heir to the frozen throne.

"Odin, I'm glad you could make your appearance" Laufey greeted, approaching the convoy with Helblindi behind him.

"Laufey" Odin greeted.

Laufey looked towards his youngest son who stood bound and muzzled like the prisoner he was. He appeared terribly underfed and deeply bruised; Laufey's eyes narrowed softly but deeming Loki stable. He turned to the guards posted at the doors before nodding them off and they left respectfully, Odin ordering his guards to leave as well. The doors closed with a heavy thud and a chill of cold air. Thor suddenly felt a thrum within his veins, the same sensation minutes before a battle. He felt the familiar heat of Mjölnir at his side and his hand itched to reach out for her. Helblindi watched him with a hard stare, rivaling his own nasty looks.

"Shall we begin?" Laufey offered and turned sideways as if to lead his father to another location. He turned back to his father only to see him step forward in agreement.

"Father?"

"You will remain here and watch over the prisoner" Odin ordered.

Thor narrowed his eyes distrustfully but said nothing more as Odin walked with Laufey through the smaller door.

The path led to a small hallway revealing a private feast room where Laufey offered him a seat at the table. Silverware was set neatly and an average-sized Jötunn appeared before them to suggest refreshments. Laufey took his own seat at the end of the table before letting out a sigh.

"You see your son is well" Odin offered.

"I would like to discuss his return" Laufey cut in.

"Very well" Odin said as he leaned back in his seat comfortably. Laufey looked at him hard and Odin could see he was distressed.

"Loki is my youngest son and is unlike the majority of our kind" Odin knew he was subtly referring to Loki being an Ice maiden; he actually knew more about the Jötunn specie than Laufey took him granted for. "He is unique and not meant for the battlefield"

"But it was the battlefield in which he met us"

"I did not grant Loki permission into battle. He was to remain inside the palace throughout the entirety of the war but Loki has a habit of mischief" Laufey admitted.

"I understand Laufey"

"And the terms of his release?"

He felt hesitation at those words. As a father he could sympathize with the ice king but as a war lord giving Jötunheimr back it's sorcerer was the last thing he wanted to do. They were already neck deep in the bloody waters of war; it was too late to back down. The atmosphere was so thick and tense not even a steel blade could slice through it.

"Your son is a powerful sorcerer and it was my bet that he manipulated the weather into your favor. I cannot allow you that power during this war. He has been defeated by my son and shall no longer take part in this war" Odin explained. "Loki will remain our prisoner and as good faith I allowed him to keep his head. When the war is over, you may have him back but until then I can assure you his survival."

"You assured me his well being. From what I saw he is not being fed and his body is painted with bruises." Laufey snapped.

"He murdered one of my men in the black of night" Odin fought back.

Laufey winced, his muscles growing tense with frustration and rage. There was two sides to every story but he could not argue about it now. Loki was defeated in battle and the Æsir could rightfully do as they please. He was treading on thin ice. If Loki had only obeyed his commands, he would have been safe in the strongholds of ice right now.

"Will you allow me to speak to him" Laufey asked but he already knew the answer.

"That is not part of the agreement."

"Then I propose a peace treaty" Laufey declared. "We can end this war and no more blood has to be spilt. For the return of my son and Jötunheimr will cease all warfare"

"Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr have suffered through many supposed peace treaties. A treaty will only delay the war, it will not put an end to the senseless fighting. Jötunheimr's goals include capturing Midgard and we are sworn to protect the realm."

"Then what do you want?"

"Jötunheimr's unconditional surrender" Odin answered. Laufey was unsurprised by Odin's verdict for he too had wanted the surrender of Ásgarðr but with Loki now in chains, he had other issues. The main reason they went to war was because of the many failed peace treaties due to overstepping the terms. "Jötunheimr can live under Ásgarðr's rule and protection. Through that we can achieve peace otherwise the war will determine the victor"

That was a pretty way to explain servitude. To surrender to Ásgarðr would mean the end of their empire. If Loki were here to attend the hearing, he would vouch against surrendering with all his being. He would only disappoint his son by surrendering but he couldn't imagine a world with his youngest a slave to the Æsir. What father couldn't protect his own son? As a king though, he had a duty to protect his people by keeping the Ásgardian army out of their gates.

"I cannot allow my kingdom to fall" Laufey replied.

☼ ☼ ☼

Heir to the throne was Helblindi and he very well matched up to the title of Ice king; built with the same physique as his father Laufey. Like most Jötunn's, he had a bald head exposing the birth runes that scared his scalp. The runes ran down his forehead shaping into the crown of royalty. The scars also ran beneath his eyes like fallen tear tracks similar to Loki's; a mirror to Laufey's runes. Helblindi's horns were very much like the rest of his kind- they were large and straight with a bend near the forehead. Only Loki's horns were different as his curled slightly. Helblindi's eyes were blood red and the rage within him was almost palpable. It was clear to him that he truly cared for his younger brother. Thor matched his gaze with arrogance. Beside him Loki dropped to his knees exhausted and he mindfully lowered the chain to grant him access to breathe properly.  
Odin returned a short while afterwards with Laufey in tow, both looking agitated and disappointed. It was clear that none of the kings could come to an agreement that would satisfy both realms. Ásgarðr was the aggressor realm in this war, invading the land of ice to enslave it's inhabitants before they could do the same to them.

"I bid you farewell Laufey" Odin offered to the Ice king.

"Until we meet again" Laufey replied, eyes casting towards his youngest son.

Despite the silver muzzle bound on his face, Loki looked pleased to hear his father's courage. Thor realized the guilt he would have felt if Jötunheimr surrendered because of his own foolish actions. Deep in his ruby eyes, there was also despair; knowing that he was to remain a bound slave to the Æsir. He could see a thin film of tears lining Loki's eyes but they refused to fall as he met the gaze of his father and king.

"Be brave my son" Laufey addressed Loki.

Thor watched them before Odin signalized their leave and he had to pull Loki along by his chain until he willingly followed them as well. Again they passed through the frozen halls and Loki seemed even more vulnerable as he watched the halls of his home pass him by; knowing that he might not ever return to this.

☼ ☼ ☼

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who left responses and kudos!


	4. The Thunderclap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long month wait. This chapter may be short but its still a little something! This month, I had my career training and just passed my evaluation for management so I have been super busy! Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave kudos and comments!!

Word of Laufey's decision had spread like a wildfire when the convoy had returned to the camp with grim expressions. The little hope that Laufey would surrender was washed away immediately when Odin had given the order that the war was to continue. Thor watched as Loki was taken from the carriage and carried away by a soldier who took him to the stake and chained him to it once again. He turned his gaze back to his father who had begun to walk to his own tent to escape the freezing cold. Thor agreed with the idea and marched for his own tent.

Loki did not miss the feel of being chained to the cold, steel stake. The wind was growing harsher and the snow levels were rising quickly. He could only guess that winter was approaching and he did not want to be caught out in the wilderness during Jötunheimr's winter. Even for a Jötunn, Winter is a terribly dangerous time.  
He had drifted off into a light sleep until he felt a presence towering over him. Loki woke with a jump to notice a tall man wearing his golden helm and chain mail clothing. He kicked Loki's thigh to ensure that he was wide awake.

"Piss break, runt" he growled. The warrior had begun to fiddle with the chain and Loki shook his head angrily.

"I am not in need" Loki replied.

The man ignored his answer and tugged on his chain, pulling him along forcibly. Loki sensed that something wasn't right and he swallowed deeply, eyes searching for Thor within the camp, hoping the Thunderer would see him being taken away, or anybody else. Loki watched as a few soldiers followed them from behind keeping a short distance to cause the least amount of attention as possible. The man lead him through the camp passing many tents that overflowed with warmth. He was able to see that two men were tailing them as he was led behind the furthest tent to the south. At their destination, there was another man awaiting their presence. Loki knew know that it was some sort of trap but he bit his tongue to keep his calm exterior.

Loki followed the man until he was facing a new warrior. The other two men caught up and he was surrounded by four Æsir. The man standing in front of him seemed to be the instigator as he wore a more intricate helm to symbolize his position within the army; possibly a general or a commander.

"He obeyed willingly like a trained dog, Hárr" the man who led him here chuckled.

The man Hárr was just like any other warrior within the army. Impossibly large and tall, with a thick beard and light brown hair that reached to his shoulders but most was covered by his helmet. The man smirked beneath his beard.

"Well go on sorcerer. You know why you here" Hárr commanded.

Loki's face dropped as his anger rose. They truly didn't bring him here for one purpose and to sit and watch like it was a reality show. Loki shook his head in disagreement, red eyes glaring boldly into the eyes of his aggressor.

"I have no need" Loki defended.

The felt the man's grasp on his chain loosen, giving the chain more slack and low restriction of movement. Hárr seemed undeterred and Loki realized they wanted to humiliate him and there was no stopping it until he gave them what they want. Loki made small movements as if to follow their orders, spreading his legs apart hoping to draw their gaze down below. Ásgardians didn't just look like hogs, they thought like them too. He moved his head back slightly, lowering his horns. The man holding his chain was distracted and when he felt the chain against his horn, he ripped his head forward, freeing the chain from the man's weak grasp by hooking it above his horn.

The soldier let out a gasp of surprise, alerting the other men but Loki quickly scattered to his feet. He had made a move for the wilderness but he was pulled back by a harsh tug on the silver chain. He fell on his back painfully and above him stood Hárr, who had been able to recapture the chain before he got away. Hárr's face was flushed red in anger and Loki grinded his teeth sourly, ashamed of his failure.

"You sneaky little Halfling" Hárr barked.

"Hrafnasueltir!" Loki hissed.

The man pulled on his chain with an incredible force, choking him in the process and forcing him to his feet. He stood on weak and underused legs only to be knock back down into the snow. Hárr had begun to kick him in the gut and he curled defensively to protect his stomach and ribs. He could hear deep laughter and Hárr demanded someone to hold him down. Another man was upon him in an instant and reached for his horns. He tried to knock the hands away but Hárr kept kicking him. The man got a hold of his horns and twisted them forcing Loki to twist his head so his spine didn't snap. The other men went for his arms and legs, restraining him easily.

Loki let out a scream as Hárr dealt a particularly hard kick to his vulnerable ribs. The man then pushed his knee into his chest and spat in his face. He called him vile names but Loki couldn't hear them as his heart beat grew louder and louder. His vision was softly blurred and he could see Hárr's hideous face glaring down at him. It was the last thing he saw before the darkness consumed him.

Hárr glared down at Loki, never faltering in his abuse. The other men continued to hold Loki down, even though it was not needed because the runt had passed out.  
"What is the meaning of this?" bellowed a deep voice.

Thor glared at the scene, recognizing Hárr as one of the assaulters. The other three men scampered away from Loki's body after he made his appearance. He could barely see the small Jötunn body beneath Hárr who kneeled above him. The three men held expressions of guilt but Hárr remained impassive as he slowly stood to reveal the mess they made. The first thing he saw was blood covering Loki's skin and the snow surrounding him. The mage was unconscious and his body was beaten into the snow. Blood dribbled from his nose and the corners of his lips further staining the snow. There was a large split on his temple and bruising underneath his eye, not to mention the cuts and bruises adorning his frail body.

"The prisoner had tried to flee" Hárr answered as if was reason enough. Thor turned to look at Hárr with a hateful glare.

"And it took four of you to apprehend him?"

The three soldiers remained silent and weary but Hárr remained confident and arrogant.

"I thought we might try to teach him a lesson; so that he may never attempt to escape again" Hárr explained. At that Thor stormed forward to confront Hárr.

"You do not presume to do as you wish. None of you have the right to do as you please. You beat him senseless; he who was weak and bound!" Thor accused. Every time he glanced at Loki, his anger was renewed.

"He is not an esteemed guest but our prisoner. I as commander saw it fit to punish the runt for his disobedience. Just because he is Laufey's spawn does not grant him special allowances." Hárr spoke as he arched up. None of the other men dared to interrupt.

Thor gaze was piercing, a deep blue turning violent. Odin had given his word to Laufey, that his son would be looked after. He looked to the fallen Jötunn once again, a flame igniting in his chest. This was not what was promised.

"If the runt attempts any mischief you are to hand him to myself, Baldr or my father and he would be dealt with accordingly. Anything concerning our prisoner is a matter out of your hands." Thor warned and Hárr scoffed at his words.

"You speak as if you have been bewitched by the sorcerer." Hárr taunted.

Thor felt himself boil inside, rage overflowing and the feeling of electricity ran through his veins. A thunderstorm had erupted within him. With all his might, Thor knocked Hárr causing him to fall back into the snow. Before the commander could return to his feet Thor held him down by his throat and held his hand in the air, demanding power.

☼ ☼ ☼

Odin sat worryingly, staring down at the prints and maps. The maps that Baldr had created during his campaign with the second division was incorrect. It was unlike his youngest son to make a mistake in drawing up maps. Baldr was accurate in his details but when looking at the map, the wastelands did not match up. The flat lands in which Baldr had marked on the map we no more. The flat lands would have been the route in which the Ásgardian army would march into Jötunheimr's empire. Now the flat lands had mounds of ice and snow...

It was like the terrain itself was changing from the time Baldr had created the map. With a spark of realization, Odin scanned through the maps once again before freezing. No... It can't be...

Suddenly the wooden bench had begun to shake and rumble, catching his attention. Odin looked up in confusion to see Mjölnir glowing a bright blue. His eyes widened as he watched it shake and quickly he stood from his chair watching the hammer quake. Hurriedly he reached for his own spear Gungnir before Mjölnir flew from the table and crashed through the tent with the speed of lightning. Odin quickly raced out of his tent and prepared himself for the worse. He ran in the direction of where Mjölnir had taken off, spear in hand.

The tents passed him by as he followed Mjölnir's light leading to the far south of the campsite. There he saw Thor, equipped with the powerful Mjölnir held high in the air above a Ásgardian warrior. Unfathomable rage was written across his face as he glared into the eyes of the man beneath him. He held his hammer but Odin could see that he would not bring it down onto the warrior but merely, only to threaten him.

Odin tightened his grip on Gungnir and brought it down, hard onto the Earth causing a small quake that caught the attention of the entire camp. Thor had seemed unsurprised by his presence and slowly pulled himself off and away from Hárr. Thor looked deeply troubled.

"Explain yourselves" Odin demanded, looking to Thor and the surrounding men.

It was then, his gaze fell upon a bloody patch within the snow. He only had to see the mangled body of Loki to realize what had caused the commotion. Hárr had jumped to his feet quickly, glaring at Thor with bitterness and animosity. Behind him, the soldiers had begun to gather around them, murmuring and whispering softly. Thor was panting in fury and Odin let out a tired sigh.

Baldr came running to his side urgently to see what the source of the commotion. He looked to Thor who held Mjölnir tight in his grasp, then to Hárr, then to Loki. In shock he turned to Odin with an aghast expression.

"Attend to Loki. Take him to the healers" Odin ordered and Baldr complied with haste.

He roughly shouldered past Hárr to get to Loki and he tried to suppress a horrified expression when seeing the damage that was upon the runt's body. He knelt down into the bloodied snow and lifted Loki gently from the surface. Carefully he carried the unconscious Jötunn from the scene.

“For the rest of you, follow me” he demanded sternly. 

Thor took a moment to tear his hateful eyes away from Hárr before following the orders of his father and king; Hárr and his henchmen doing likewise. Odin, without another word lead them towards a vacant tent to acquire needed privacy. Hárr moved to the wooden bench and dropped his golden helmet in respect to Odin but Thor merely clamped Mjölnir to his belt, in arms reach.

“Speak”

“Verily. We had taken the Jötunn for a piss break before he attempted to escape; he had nearly slipped from my grasp.”

“Four men had to be present?” Odin questioned suspiciously. 

“The runt is cunning and deceitful. We only took precautions and luckily we had otherwise he might of escaped”

Thor looked impossibly angry but he remained silent allowing Hárr a moment to explain his actions. Not that it would change his mind. 

Odin sighed regretfully, grimacing when he had remembered the words he promised to Laufey. That his son would be looked after. Now he was barely alive. It had been his bad judgment in believing that no one held ill feelings towards the young Jötunn. He should have acted earlier. 

“You had no right! No one has the right to do as you did.” Thor challenged. “The Jötunn, already chained was held down and beaten into unconsciousness.” He then turned to his father.

“It will teach him a lesson! He needs to fear us.”

“The lesson was not yours to teach” Thor growled. 

“I am a commander.” Hárr declared.

“You are insolent” 

“Silence!” Odin shouted before turning to Hárr. “Thor is right. Loki does not belong to you hence you have no right to lay a hand on him. Any of you” Odin explained to all the soldiers present. 

The soldiers who had followed Hárr looked remorseful and guilty. Hárr however looked enraged to have his game ruined.

“The runt was so bold and smug, so sure of himself. He fooled himself by thinking that being the son of a king granted him special power and status.” He pointedly looked at Thor when he said that. “You should thank me, I put him in his place! I did the dirty work for you. Heh, I doubt he will cause any mischief furthermore.” he then snapped. 

“Tread carefully!” Thor growled. 

“You will no longer be involved in Loki's handling” Odin ordered.

“You forget that he is a prisoner. He was defeated and captured in battle. Laufey refused peace and sealed the fate of his own child; believing that he could actually win this war. The Jötunn should be our whore by now. This is war!” Hárr argued.

Thor reached for his hammer immediately, the anger inside him was boiling over and if it wasn't for Odin's warning glare, he would have smashed the man's skull into pieces by now, commander or not. The images of Loki beaten and defiled coupled with Hárr's demeaning words had awoken something deep within Thor. 

“You-!”

“I am a commander” he reminded. 

“You are nothing!” Thor roared.

Before Hárr could comprehend Thor unleashed his rage and might. Thunder cackled in the distance as Thor lifted one leg and kicked Hárr with a legendary violence, sending him flying back. Hárr's body flew through the air and broke through the tent before hitting one of the trees outside. A loud thud echoed throughout the campsite and alerted all those who surrounded the tent.

Thor didn't turn to face his king but rather reached out for the helm given to Hárr before pushing pass the soldiers in the tent. The men outside looked shocked to see the commotion and Thor pushed the helmet to the closest soldier.

“You are commander now” Thor promoted. 

The man was stunned, looking to the helmet than to Thor as he stormed off without another word.

The cool breeze did little in soothing his boiling skin and he continued forward undeterred as others scampered to avoid his path. There he headed to a large grey tent and pushed past the tent doors without a knock. Inside was the infirmary, Ásgarðr greatest healers were at work. He spotted Loki laying on one of the operating beds with two healers attending to him. Thor approached and was pleased to see Loki clean of the red blood that had stained his skin. 

“Will he live?” Thor asked. 

“He is terribly emaciated and has extensive bodily damage but yes, he will live”

“What are the extent of his injuries”

“Other than bruising and lacerations, he suffers from a few broken bones. Our magic can only stop the external bleeding. Loki is a sorcerer and his seiðr despite being sealed prevents our own from entering his body. I would recommend his seiðr to be released for a few days so he can heal the internal wounds himself. With proper care afterwards, his recovery will be a quick one.” She informed still examining the bruising underneath Loki's eye. 

With that being said, Thor nodded and left the tent. 

☼☼☼

Odin was displeased to say the least but Thor couldn't care less. He had walked into his father's tent where Baldr was present already. When he had awoken this morning, he could feel the same bitterness and rage from last night that he couldn't quite shake off. 

“-Hárr is in the infirmary” Odin said to Baldr, giving Thor a hard glare. 

“Ah, yes” Thor interrupted. “How is our new commander fairing?” He asked and Baldr couldn't conceal his grin. 

“Your decision was clouded by your emotions Thor. Lets just hope you made the right choice with the final battle only a week ahead. Hárr was arrogant but he was a skilled commander.” Odin lectured. 

Thor remained ignorant to Odin's words as he glanced down at the maps settled on Odin's desk. 

“What will become of Loki?” Baldr asked. 

“The healers said he would recover” Odin declared, having visited the infirmary today. “His bodily wounds have been attended to. He still needs care.”

“I will take him” Thor announced. 

“Good. You will ensure that he eats. I want his braces removed so that his seiðr may begin the healing process.”

“Is that really a good idea” Baldr intervened. From what Thor recounted, the sorcerer was a force to be reckoned with. “We cant afford to lose him” 

“His seiðr will act on its own accord in an attempt to heal the damage. It will make him weaker and anemic. Having his magic focused on healing his body, he will be too feeble to conjure any spells. In any event though, I'm sure Thor can handle him.”

“Aye” 

“Then see to it, my son” Odin commanded. 

Thor gave a short nod before turning to leave the tent, Baldr and Odin watching him. Outside he was met with a fierce tempest of blizzard snow and he tucked his hands into the furs of his coat. He had made his way to the clinic where Loki lay, entering the doors once again.   
He was pleased to see that Hárr was taken into another tent than to share one with Loki. The healer greeted him with a polite bow before he brushed past them to Loki's bed who still lay unconscious; but unlike yesterday, he looked somewhat peaceful in his sleep. Thor eyed the nurse carefully, understanding they had put Loki to sleep. 

“When will he wake” Thor questioned. 

“The sedative should wear off by tonight” she affirmed. 

“Thank you, Eir” 

She gave a positive smile and allowed Thor access to take Loki from the healing chambers. Loki's body was still bruised but Eir and her company had done a miraculous job. Loki's skirt was stained with blood and dirt and the healers had removed all the golden adornments upon his body. 

Thor reached down and carefully lifted Loki into his arms. He was surprised by how deathly cold his skin was but he considered that was a Jötunn attribute. His body was limp and shockingly featherweight. He bid the healers farewell before carrying Loki to his own tent.


	5. A Interlude

The feeling of numbness wasn't something he expected to wake up to. His eyes cracked open to be met with a flickering, orange light. When he woke, he was laying on his stomach and his limbs felt heavy and weak. He moved his head against the floor, surprised to feel warm furs against his cheek and body. He took a moment to look at his surroundings. 

There was a soft bed situated in the corner with a desk and chair opposite. There was a large chest containing the unknown and weapons dangling from the holster. He seemed to be in a personal tent but Loki's eyes widened when he noticed a similar looking helm sitting on the beside table. A silver helmet with two small wings appearing from the sides could only belong to one warrior. 

Thor Odinson. 

Panic had slowly begun to rise within him but his body was ignorant to his desires. He was helpless and he couldn't move properly. The images of when he was last conscious flashed into his mind. He could remember four… four men and nothing else but blood. The pain he felt was excruciating but all that was left was an overpowering numbing sensation. He felt the familiar warmth of his own seiðr; as if it were set free from the previous bounds. He had glanced at his wrists before chuckling weakly seeing they had removed the enchanted cuffs. 

So they hoped to weaken him even more by allowing his seiðr to attempt to heal his wounds. There was the heavy collar around his throat chaining him to the metal hook embedded into the ground. Loki remained in place, unable to attain the strength to move his body. 

By the time Thor had returned to his own tent, he was still awake and in the same awkward position. He could see his thick boots as he entered through the tent door and Loki didn't bother straining his neck in order to meet his gaze.

For a moment, he prayed that Thor would ignore him and continue on with his personal plans but things never were that easy. He saw the boots slowly approaching him until the thunderer kneeled down beside him. Loki held his breath before feeling Thor's hand on his shoulder. He tensed immediately but Thor did not back off. There was a pressure against his shoulder as Thor forced him to sit and use a chest behind him as a back board. 

He couldn't conceal a growl, baring his teeth distrustfully towards the Ásgardian. Thor disregarded his depreciation and sat the bowl carefully on the ground. Thor reached for the loaf of bread he had brought along and pushed it close to Loki's face.

“You will need to eat” Thor explained. 

Loki looked surprised and his ruby eyes glanced to the bread held out to him. Thor could easily see the desire within his eyes; having been starved for so long. It was clear that he was still effected by the drugs in his system and his arms twitched slightly. Thor held the bread close to his face so he could bite into it but Loki remained stubborn.

“Eat it” 

Loki's self control looked ready to snap and he opened his mouth hesitantly but that was all Thor needed until he pushed the bread closer, allowing Loki to bite a piece off. The runt seemed utterly humiliated as he tore his gaze away from Thor and focused on the aliment. 

Thor was pleased. At least Loki wasn't going to put on an act like last time. 

When Loki had swallowed, he urged him to eat more in which Loki complied without a doubt this time. It wasn't long before Loki took the final piece of the bread and Thor was picking up the bowl of warm beef stew. He had raised the spoon to Loki's face expecting compliance but Loki's face twisted in disgust. He turned his head when Thor brought the spoon to his lips and Thor pulled back in annoyance. 

“Loki, you will eat the food!” Thor reminded. 

“No” he croaked. His voice was so soft and hoarse, he almost didn't hear it. 

“Loki-!” he warned. 

“I cannot!” Loki then barked louder this time. “I cannot eat it. Meat” He then clarified

Thor was silent for a minute, trying to comprehend what he meant. 

“Don't be absurd” Thor dismissed, raising the spoon once again. 

“It is no joke”

Thor looked at Loki like he was crazy but he lowered the spoon anyway. 

“Will you eat more bread?” he then questioned. 

Loki only replied with a short nod before Thor took the second loaf and fed Loki the same. When he had finished, Thor unhooked the circular jar from his belt and removed the cap. He brought it to Loki's lips but once again, Loki flashed a dangerous and alarmed expression. 

“It is only water” Thor clarified.

Thor could understand why Loki didn't trust him, nor could he blame him. He allowed Loki to sip from the water bottle before he finished it entirely. Thor would have liked it better if Loki had eaten more but he was satisfied with the progress. 

It was clear to see that he was still feeling the effects of the medicine. His body was limp and eyelids heavy with exhaustion. 

“Get some rest” Thor assured to the Jötunn but Loki gave him the same sour expression.

He had stood to his own two feet before leaving the tent. Outside, there was a large fire where most warriors had gathered around. He had spotted his own brother Baldr by the fire, comfortably enjoying his own meal. 

Thor had joined him by the campfire, reaching for a bowl of warm stew and a few pieces of bread. Baldr gave him a soft smile. 

“How is he?” 

“Recovering. He refuses to eat any meat that I may offer him” Thor answered. He contemplated letting Loki starve but that would hinder his recovery.

“That is strange” Baldr exclaimed.

“Perhaps it is a custom among the Jötunn's” Thor wondered but Baldr just shook his head. 

“I don't believe so. Jötunn's do prefer their food frozen, including meats.” Baldr answered, taking a spoonful of his own soup. 

“Loki has made it quite clear that he doesn't eat it” Thor tried, recalling the memory where he forced Loki to eat a slab of dry steak but he had violently thrown it back up. Thor had just wondered whether it involved his unique anatomy or the Jötunn was simply stubborn. 

“I'm sure there would be a plausible reason”

Thor looked up to the campfire, watching as the warriors surrounding it jeered and barked with laughter. He had remembered the years when he had used to channel his emotions and forget if only for a moment that they were not in war. Now with what he had seen and experienced, it wasn't that easy. 

During the night, Thor was one of the last to retire to his quarters. When he had entered the tent, he noticed Loki curled up on the thick furs Thor had put there previously. There was a soft flicker of green seiðr emitting from his hands as the magic worked beyond Loki's control. He stopped in his tracks noticing how exhausted the mage was, his sleeping position looked awfully uncomfortable yet the Jötunn slept peacefully. 

He allowed the sorcerer his peace, quietly slipping on loose trouser pants and a long-sleeve blouse. He blew out the remaining candles before falling onto his own bed. Thanks to Loki's seiðr, the room was almost pitch black save for the small green aura that came from Loki. He found it very soothing and calming, then allowed himself to be consumed by sleep. 

☼ ☼ ☼

Thor was woken by the harsh gale of the wind, slapping repeatedly against his tent. His sky, blue eyes slowly slid open to the roof of his tent. He took a moment to wake from his slumber before sitting up. Instantly, his aqua eyes fell upon Loki's slumbering form. 

The Jötunn was still in the same uncomfortable position as the night before. The Jötunn mustn’t have gotten much sleep when chained to the stake probably he was afraid to be attacked while he was unconscious. Even so, the beating and medication he had taken would have made him more lethargic. 

He could only see half of Loki's face, as his dark, raven hair covered most of it. The mage was resting on only a thick rug of furs and was completely bare save for the rumpled loincloth that hung loosely to his hips. The only thing keeping the tents warm were the candles and a single heating crystal distributed among all the tents. Despite the temperatures, the Jötunn bearing little clothing did not once shiver or shake but merely slept in satisfaction. It was no surprise how the Jötunn had slept through the raging winds; it wasn't something new to him.

Thor dressed himself in woolen material and thick furs to keep himself comfortably warm. He allowed the Jötunn to remain sleeping as he left the tent to attend the early meeting. As soon as he left his tent, the wind did it's best to knock him from his feet. The snow was thick around him and it was too hard to see what was ahead of him.  
Thor trudged through the deep snow, and by sheer memory of his father's tent was he able to find it. He shook off the snow as the tent's door before walking in to meet with his father, and army commanders. There were several candles lit to provide a soft orange light and in the center of the room sat the heating crystal, emitting a bright red glow as it provided a warm atmosphere to the surrounding area.  
Týr was present along with a few other generals yet Baldr hadn't arrived yet but it wouldn't be too long. Odin looked weary yet Thor couldn't blame him- he was leading an army into Jötunheimr. 

“How is Loki” Odin asked, despite it all. Reassuring Odin about Loki's well being would have surely taken a weight off his shoulders. Considering the promise he had made to Laufey, he clearly respected the Jötunn king and could also empathize with him. 

“He is well.” Thor replied. “Exhausted still, but making progress. Last night, he had accepted the bread and water I offered to him without complaint. However when it comes to meat, he will not indulge”

At this Odin rose an eyebrow in speculation. He was silent only for a moment before he came to a reasonable conclusion. 

“I should have expected that. Though its not practiced among Vanir or Æsir mages, I have known of powerful sorcerers abstaining from consuming meat to keep their bodies and spirits clean and untainted. It is a myth- not to pollute your soul and body with the blood and flesh of another man or animal. If a soul is corrupt and evil it taints whoever consumes it; like absorbing the evil and sins into your own body. Mages depend on their inner strength known as seiðr and it cannot become dirty or corrupt by others otherwise you will grow weak. However it is only a myth.” 

“A stupid belief.” one of the commanders pointed out. 

“And yet, Loki's seiðr prowess are exceptional for someone so young” Odin countered. “Do not make a mockery of something you don't understand”

Odin was skilled in magic yet it wasn't something that he flaunted around. Unfortunately, practicing magic and healing abilities was an ergi profession- that was the shameful discrimination in Asgard. Where most men had yet to realize that there was more to strength than the just size of your muscles. They tend to mock something they know not.  
“He is right. People also seem to forget that Loki was manipulating the weather during the beginning of the war. The many lives lost due to the winter storm. We cannot underestimate the sorcerer” Týr snapped. 

When Týr had been talking, Baldr entered the tent, raising an eyebrow at the commander comically. 

“Loki? I don't think he is much of a threat currently” He interrupted honestly. 

“I considered that as well. Until he had murdered one of our men while under bounds” Týr fought back, agitated. 

“Only in self-defense” Baldr replied shortly. 

In disbelief, Týr stood from his seat and glared at Baldr accusingly. 

“You would side the Jötnar?” he snarled devilishly.

“Enough” Odin commanded. His voice was rough and firm yet he offered a warm and understanding look to his younger son. “We are here with purpose. Jötunheimr's winter is approaching and the weather grows fiercer with each passing day. Many men will die from this winter tide if we are too late.” 

“Indeed, we are running out of time. If we wait any longer, the winter will only grow worse”

“The Jötunn's have a huge advantage over us” A commander worried. 

Thor was silent for a moment as the cogs and gears clicked in his head, at a sudden realization. He hadn't thought of the possibility before and didn't know whether his plan would work. He voiced his idea before thinking it through. 

“We might possibly have a counter measure… To cease the increasing winter.”

“And what might that be?” Týr asked first. 

“Loki” 

The two syllable word seemed to cause a reaction from the Allfather. It was obvious that Odin had realized what he was intending before he could even finish his sentence. Yet the others seemed curious and confused by his answer. 

“Loki. He had the power to manipulate the weather in his favor and I wouldn't doubt that he could have the power to reverse it as well.”

He had let the words sink into the minds of the warriors and it seemed to click. It seemed like the perfect idea but-

“I doubt that Loki would ever assist us. I could try to persuade him but I fear he will remain unfazed”

“That may be the case” Odin started, still in deep thought at the possibility. “However that might be our only option”

“And if he refuses to comply?” Týr asked, crossed. 

Upon those words, silence fell and it was heavier than gravity. Odin understood the dilemma if he refused. Many warriors would die from the just the weather itself. Reaching Jötunheimr's kingdom would be a struggle itself, and to also fight during the raging winds and heavy snow could result in Asgard defeat. They were at a massive disadvantage and only Loki could be the salvation. Loki would most definitely refused to aid Asgard yet there were other means more convincing than mere persuasion. It was clear and the unspoken words were heavy in the air; including the promise he made to Laufey. He did not want to cause any harm to the Ice king's youngest. But what choice did he have? It was Asgard or Loki and he wished he didn't have to make that choice. 

“Asgard will suffer if he refuses” a commander whispered. 

“Many will die” another worry. 

“Thor” Odin called. Thor looked weary and also, angry. It was clear what was to happen if Loki failed to comply. “I will allow you and only you, three days to convince Loki to aid us. On the final day, we must resort to other means” 

Thor clenched his fists in anger. He knew what 'other means' usually meant. It was any kind and all kinds of torture. Any means necessary to get the victim to submit to their whims. Yet their was no arguing with Odin's verdict and he could understand the gravity of his decision. 

“Fine” was his short reply. 

The rest of the meeting was spent revising battle plans and Baldr presenting his maps and blueprints of the ever changing terrain. The commanders were given their positions and informed of their division’s purpose. 

Once the meeting was adjourned Thor left the tent and headed to the outlook post. There Sif and Frandal were amongst other scout soldiers. The outpost was situated to the North of the tents, much farther up to serve the purpose of identifying any particular threats or sightings of Jötunns. They had chosen a favorable area to set camp with mountains shielding them from harsh winds and sneak attacks. The region was too unstable for the Jötunn's to plan a sneak attack to gain the upper hand yet Odin had known Laufey to be prepared for their anticipated, scheduled battle. There was no foul play. The scouts were placed North of the tents, where it was most vulnerable. The Asgard army was well prepared and well fortified. The travel was only short until he had came upon the many few tents amongst the snow. There had been around fifty soldiers placed here to scout and defend the area. 

He had passed many of the warriors until Sif came into view and she greeted him with a hard smile. 

“Hello my friend” he greeted.

“Thor” she said in return. “What brings you here” 

“Just to check up”

☼ ☼ ☼

It was never too bright in Jötunheimr due to the cloudy skies and frequent snow storms. The sky was a murky grey and when night approached, the darkness consumed the sky quickly and abrupt. 

It was growing dark as it neared nightfall. Many soldiers were retiring from their training as dusk approached. It was then he decided to retreat to his tent and confront the sorcerer hidden within. 

He had walked into the warmth of his tent, closing the door behind him. The runt was awake and sitting upright leaning against the chest behind him. Thor's own eyes met with Loki's deep ruby ones and it appeared that the sedatives had finally worn off.

“Greetings, Loki” 

“You have no permission to use my name” Loki replied shortly. 

“Would you have me call you runt instead?” Thor asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Loki didn't bother to reply, grunting in annoyance and turning to look at something else rather than Thor. He probably hoped that he would continue on and bother him no more, but Thor had to disappoint. 

He had moved through the tent to confront the small mage. Loki's glare was directed back at him when he realized Thor wasn't going to allow him peace.  
“How are your wounds?” Thor asked, kneeling in front of the blue skinned man. 

There was still visible bruises that marred the surface of his skin and many of the lacerations were now healing scars. He seemed to be healing very well.  
“Please don't bother me with your false concern” Loki drawled out in annoyance.

Thor didn't yield to the other's foul attitude, even though it was well warranted. He could understand Loki's distrust and hate towards the Æsir. He had been hurt many times and Thor himself had administered a terrible punishment for the Jötunn when he had held him above the fire with intentions to burn his skin. He understood him.  
He moved forward with speed, grabbing Loki by his shoulders. Loki immediately flinched and Thor could see a flash of pain flicker through those deep red eyes. Loki had hissed angrily and tried to shake the thunderer off yet Thor was relentless. 

“You are still in pain” Thor concluded.

“I am weak, the healing might take awhile” Loki admitted, casting his eyes off to the tent's wall. 

“I will fetch you something to eat soon” Thor explained. “Will you eat bread tonight? I will also bring some baked potatoes” 

Loki didn't reply but he gave a soft nod. Thor released him only to sit back on his hunches. Silence filled the tent, only the sounds of the incessant wind attacking the tent from outside. 

“I need you to hear me out on this. I need your cooperation.” 

At this Loki glanced at him curiously, his ruby eyes shining in the candle lit air. 

“Winter is growing near, and you should be able to feel it. The war council including my father had been discussing the issue and they have found a solution”

“Impossible. There is nothing you can do to stop the winter!” Loki rationalized. 

“You” Thor stated simply. 

“What?” Loki shocked, falling back against the chest behind him. 

“You can stop it” 

A sudden look of surprise and fear crawled over the Jötunn's face. The realization clicked in and horror filled him to the bone. 

“The council decided that you could stop the Winter. You had manipulated the weather during the beginning of the war and it has been decided that you will reverse it.” 

“I will not” Loki replied immediately. 

“Loki-”

“No, I will not!” 

“They will torture you! It is in your best interest”

"They? Are you not Asgardian anymore?" Loki questioned with feigned interest.

For a second Thor was startled before he realized his own words. He hadn't meant to sound alien from his own people but torture was not something he wanted to resort to. Thor was determined that he could convince Loki otherwise. 

“I... I did not favor that decision" Thor murmured with agitation. 

“Whatever” Loki snarled. 

Thor stood to his feet, not wishing to harm Loki in his desperation and anger.

“You are a fool!” 

He snapped before leaving the tent. 

☼ ☼ ☼ 

Thor had left the tent during early dawn. It had grown dark and he had spent the rest of his afternoon with Baldr. The two warriors joined the rest of the camp by the log fire as a roast was being cooked. He had stayed with his younger brother and enjoyed his dinner by the fire. When it had grown dark and cold, he had retrieved bread for Loki along with some baked potatoes. He hardly saw it as a satisfying meal but as along as Loki consumed something. 

He had returned to his tent and Loki was no less stubborn from when he had left before. Possibly even more so upon realizing their intent to use his power to stop the weather from getting any worse. The sedatives seemed to have flushed completely from his body and Loki made it clear that he didn't need his help anymore and Thor left him to eat in peace and undisturbed. 

With a sigh, he collapsed down onto his soft mattress and rested his palms behind his head while staring up at the pale ceiling. His mind was fogged with many thoughts and worries and sleep did not come easily to him this night. He mildly took notice to Loki's soft green seiðr began to illuminate the room. 

Thor tilted his head to the side just a little to watch the young Jötunn. He had curled up against the furs beneath him, sleep had overcome him as his body produced a slight green aura. It had been a few more minutes until his own eyes had begun to shut slowly. The seiðr had a comforting and soothing affect on him while Loki slept, even though it was unintentional. He had started to relax until Loki's labored breathing grew louder and more desperate.

He had taken a few minutes to register a reaction, as his pool-blue eyes slid open to reveal the sleeping mage, surrounded by a deep ruby aura. Thor lifted his head for a moment confused when the familiar green aura had transformed into a dangerous red shade. 

“What?” he whispered softly.

It was certainly strange and Loki looked fitful and tense in his sleep. His face seemed contorted in pain and serious aggravation. It didn't take Thor a moment for realize that there was something off, that there was something wrong. 

Before the Thunderer could consider his options, a loud yet very distant howl was heard. Thor was silent, wondering possible scenarios yet he was clueless. Perhaps it was coincidental or not. The strange roar was heard only once and only silence remained afterwards. 

“Peculiar” Thor whispered, eyes drawn back to Loki's ruby aura. 

☼ ☼ ☼

Morning had come too quick in Loki's opinion. He was sluggish and groggy still, even though the sedatives had finally wore off. The anodynes had been flushed out of his system completely and now his sleep was troubled by pain and nightmares. It was harder to attain peaceful sleep now that he didn't have the assistance of powerful drugs. 

When he had woken up, his vision was cloudy and his body was laggy. He took a moment to gather his senses before realizing Thor had arisen and left already, yet he wasn't surprised. He didn't currently possess the energy and stamina he had before. Loki sat up, scratching his irritated skin beneath the incessant steel collar. 

Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to himself before Thor marched into the tent only five minutes prior to his awakening. The Thunderer had a loaf of bread salvaged from the Æsir morning feast and a small carton of water. Loki had wanted to ignore Thor yet the growling of his empty stomach made him give up his facade. He had eaten the food Thor offered him without complaint. The bread was hardly satisfying, a little stale and dry but it was better than starving to death. 

“You are filthy” Thor commented, watching him with a strange curiosity that Loki had to scowl at him. Of course he was. He hadn't cleaned himself properly for days now. 

“You would permit me to bathe?” Loki retorted back. 

No doubt he looked like a mess. His skirt was stained with dirt and dried blood. His bruised body was bare save for the piece of clothing that hung to his hips. Loki ran a hand through his oily and knotty hair, some strands having tangled around his sharp horns in a clump. 

“Aye” he replied after a short silence. 

Loki gave a questioning look before Thor rose to his feet. He watched silently as Thor reached out to the chain connecting his collar to the tent's floor. He had pulled a small key from beneath his clothing and used it to unchain him from the post. 

Loki felt a sense of victory overwhelm him but it was quickly washed away and Thor tugged his chain with force and he almost fell flat on his face. 

“Stand” Thor demanded. 

Loki snarled yet Thor just smiled innocently in retaliation. Loki used his hands to push himself from the floor and stood on two shaky legs. His bones had cracked loudly and it felt like his legs would give out, unable to hold his own weight anymore. Loki stumbled clumsily without the grace he usually possessed when he used to walk.

Thor led him by the chain but he was surprisingly a lot gentler than the other men who had used to walk him. They had left the safety of Thor's tent, heading to the nearby river that Loki had found during his previous attempted escape. 

Not a single Ásgardian was in sight, probably all cowering in their heated tents like the cowards they were. Loki's vision was much more equipped and advanced to see past the thick storm of snow but Thor was wandering about like a headless duck. 

Thankfully, Thor had found his way to the stream of water, which was slowly freezing over; a thin layer of ice covered the top. Loki walked absentmindedly, gazing at the freezing water. 

“Come here” Thor instructed. “And face me with your back”

Loki turned to look at the Thunderer who stood only a few feet away. The fear he felt felt towards the other Ásgardian men, he did not feel it towards Thor. Unlike the men in his army, Thor seemed honorable to some extent and Loki knew Thor wouldn't hurt him unprovoked. If Loki followed Thor's orders, Thor would have no reason to harm him and he would also protect him from the others who wished to do the unspeakable to him.

Loki complied silently but with guarded and heavy eyes, he turned his back to Thor. Loki couldn't suppress a shiver, swallowing nervously as Thor's hot hands rested upon his waist. Thor was almost impossible to read and Loki found him worried, unable to predict the man's next move. One of Loki's greatest strength lay in his ability to read and analyze his enemies and allies.

Thor's hands begun to move against the fabric of his clothing, before fiddling with the clipped waistband, before the entire piece fell from his azure hips. Loki gasped but refused to cower away and shot Thor a distrustful glare but the Thunderer merely waved his hand in dismissal. 

Once Thor made his disinterest clear, Loki moved swiftly into the frosty water until he was waist deep. An Ásgardian would no doubt freeze to death in these cold water, but it was immensely satisfying for a Frost Giant. Loki dropped down onto his knees before submerging himself underneath the water's surface. The water was soothing his bruised skin and he allowed himself to bask in the water's glory. 

His fingers danced across the water's surface, creating small ripples in the aqua. His wet hair was slick back, droplets retreating back into the water. From sheer satisfaction, his seiðr leaked from his fingertips and glided against the surface before disappearing into nothingness.

He sunk deeper into the water until it reached his shoulders, his hair pooling around him. Loki dipped his head back until the tip of his horns reached the surface behind him. He lifted his hands to feel around the base of his horns, massaging softly. It was one of the most sensitive spots on a Jötunn, not the horn itself but stimulating the base could bring a Jötunn into serenity. His eyes cracked open softly, gazing up to the dark blue sky as grey clouds rolled over, feeling the cold breeze on his face.

It could have been peace itself if the chains around his throat and ankles weren't so heavy. He could also feel his captor's gaze upon his body, simply observing or either expecting an attempted escape. Yet Loki didn't fulfill his suspicion. He remained in the water, allowing it to carry away the filth from his body and the sorrow away from his mind.  
Before he could lose himself within the energy of the land, he was pulled away from it by a calling voice. One that did not belong to his homeland. It was then he turned back to face Thor and his peace of mind was brought to an end.

☼ ☼ ☼

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay~
> 
>  
> 
> I would like to thank those who left reviews! 
> 
> ☼ Valora


	6. Race for the mountains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! 
> 
> A month later and the next chapter is finally here!
> 
> Warning: Gore

He was left with a strange sensation deep within his gut when they had returned to the camp. Thor kept remembering Loki bathing within the water's stream. He had watched him silently as he danced with the water and his hands had turned green with seiðr. Loki seemed connected to the nature around him, almost lost in his own little world as the spiritual energy consumed him. It had Thor almost feel guilty for ripping him away from his motherland. Thor realized he was captivated by the Jötunn mage. 

Loki was a strange and unique kind of beauty. 

One that he had never seen before. Thor had given the Jötunn his dark, ruby cloak so he could cover himself until Thor had retrieved fresh new clothing that he could wear. When they returned to the tent, Thor chained him once again to the safety of his private tent before leaving to visit the infirmary. He had asked for clothing that would fit Loki and they only suitable clothing was a pure black cloak and matching trousers. The trousers were fitted to a Æsir woman's size yet it probably would have been perfect for Loki. Thor had also tailored two large holes into the cloak's hood so that Loki could wear it comfortably, without tearing the material with his horns; similar to the emerald cloak that Loki had worn during the battle. 

When he had finished his errands and joined his brother and fellow warriors beside the fire. The night was growing closer and his bid to convince Loki seemed hopeless. He knew deep inside, even when he had agreed to the wager that Loki would never aid them. He would never want to help Ásgarðr destroy his homeland and everything he knew.   
Yet he decided to try his luck again. He had two days left until Týr and his commanding squad would take their turn in convincing Loki otherwise. He had turned to his tent to find Loki of course, chained to the same spot where he left him. He had brought him his meager meal of just boiled vegetables and a loaf of bread. He had watched Loki while he ate before breaching the topic before he had actually finished. 

It wasn't the brightest idea because Loki visibly stiffened before swallowing the remaining food in his mouth and pushing away the plate of offered food. He had refused to eat anymore and decided to ignore Thor for the rest of the night, growling in anger whenever Thor accidentally or purposely stepped too close within his boundaries. It wasn't long before Thor could hear Loki's soft breathing and he turned to look at Loki who had fallen into a light rest. Once again, Loki's hands lit up like a lantern, glowing a light sage. Thor presumed his seiðr was still healing much of the previous injuries and was developing nutrients for his malnourished self. 

Thor's eyes suddenly rose in sudden shock immediately pausing in his step. Loki was curled up on the furs provided but Thor bore witness to Loki's soft emerald seiðr become swallowed up by a thick, ruby light. He watched as the green aura turned into a vicious bloody red. There was certainly something wrong as Loki seemed to be in considerable discomfort as his face scrunched in pain and his shoulders trembled lightly. 

Something was definitely not right yet Thor could not decide what the problem was. It didn't look natural to Loki's seiðr pattern. His best guess was that the red aura depicted the pain or worry Loki was feeling. The biology of a sorcerer and his seiðr was completely unknown to Thor and his father Odin would probably have better luck guessing.   
The strange ruby aura overflowed from Loki's body before dissolving once it hit the tent's floor. He walked over curiously, studied the runt's features and body posture before kneeling down behind the sleeping Jötunn, hoping not to wake him. Lifting a gentle hand, he dipped his fingers into the misty ruby aura. Thor was surprised to feel a slight difference in the pressure of the mages seiðr and the atmosphere around them. Loki's seiðr was marginally heavier than the air and thicker than murky fog. The feeling painted goosebumps along his hand and forearm. He remained hunched over the sleeping sorcerer, wondering in silence. He did not feel right about this strange color.   
Suddenly Thor's heart skipped a beat as a mighty, powerful howl erupted within the valley. It was the same roar as the one from last night yet this time it was different. It sounded much louder, coherent and imminent. Whatever beast produced that sound was significantly closer and more impending. Suddenly, it made more sense to Thor and he immediately ripped Loki up from his sleep. 

He had pulled Loki up by his metal collar but the chain held him back from being suspended in the air. Loki let out a surprised gasp at the sudden awakening and he held onto the Thunderer's wrists to support himself but he was failing miserably. 

“You witch!” Thor accused, anger erupting within him. 

“What?” Loki asked, utterly confused by the Thunderer's sudden rage.

Thor slammed him into the floor and grabbed his left horn before pushing Loki's face against the floor. He tightened his grip, threatening to shatter the horn into millions of broken pieces and Loki let out a painful cry.

“What have you caused?” Thor roared. 

“I have done nothing!” Loki snapped back.

Thor growled, unsatisfied before letting go of Loki and marching over to his chest and pulling out the metal cuffs that would bound his magic. He strapped them to Loki's wrists once again, and Loki remained complaint to not further provoke the Thunderer's rage; sitting in utter confusion and annoyance. Once the magic suppressors were chained on Loki again, he fell onto his front, immediately drained of his magic, almost falling unconscious from the drastic change. Loki's vision blurred as he fought to remain conscious.  
“You will remain here until I command otherwise” Thor demanded before storming to his chest once again and dressing himself quickly into his suit of armor as quickly as he could manage before leaving the tent.

Thor was met with a powerful gust of wind when he exited the safety of his tent before he sprinted to the nearest horn. He was met with the night guard who greeted him respectfully.

“You are to guard Loki within my personal tent. Do not allow him to leave under any circumstance.”

Thor commanded before reaching for the horn and blowing onto the pipe, causing a loud echo. The warrior looked immediately concerned before running off to fulfill his duty. As the alarm sounded off within the camp, from his post he could see the many torches being lit yet the reaction was slow and Thor brought his hammer down into the earth causing a shattering earthquake. The piercing warning was enough to cause the entire camp to immediately awaken and race into action. 

Thor along with the commanding officers and Odin's tent were located higher up from the other tents, along the mountain's edge overseeing the other tents. Týr and Baldr were the first to join him, soon followed by Ásgarðr's commanding officers.

“Thor, what is going on?” Týr bellowed in urgency, Baldr shared his same concerned expression. 

The Thunderer was silent in contemplation. The camp before him erupted as warriors readied themselves for a surprise attack of any kind; the warning was signal enough that something was coming. The torches were lit and the silver shine of weaponry was seen through the dimly lit camp. Jötunheimr's skies were dark and forbidding with slicing winds that suddenly became more bearable. Warriors of Asgard were forced into an alert state with adrenaline pumping through their veins. 

Thor's gaze lifted to the high mountains where the moon was climbing high into the sky. It peaked out through the clouds, shining down onto the snowy mountains and that's when Thor saw it. Baldr and Týr soon followed his concern to the mountain tops.

Above on the mountains, he could see the blurry outline of innumerable furry beasts hiding behind the light film of fog. Upon the frozen mountain top, a pack of large, winter wolves gathered. Thor was still, glaring at the pack as the wolves studied the Ásgardian men. In unison the wolves howled into the winter night and Thor realized that the wolves would have been tracking them for a few days now. Perhaps, he was correct in his suspicion that the wretched sorcerer Loki had led the pack of wolves to their location or whether the Æsir scent must have attracted them and assumed they could make a decent meal out of Ásgardian warriors.

“Prepare yourselves men” Thor gave the warning. 

With the feel of electricity running through his fingers, Thor lifted Mjölnir in the air allowing the storms to stir above them and with the crack of lightning he brought it down onto the mountain, causing it to crack and the wolves scattered immediately. Unfortunately, the wolves were cunning and they had sprinted down the mountain after the thunderclap. A small avalanche followed after the pack yet the beasts were swift and agile, escaping the avalanche with ease. 

With a battle roar, the Æsir camp burst into action as the warriors charged forward, axes and swords in hand with the promise of unconditional bloodshed. The bloodthirsty wolves and armored vikings met in a clash of white and gold. 

Thor jumped from the precipice and dashed through the camp to approach the front line. The sounds of aggressive snarling were horrific and some of his men cried in pain as the wolves attacked with the intention of butchering. Immediately Thor realized that this was ambush. The wolves main objective was to exterminate rather than to feast otherwise they would have picked off warriors one by one rather than to oppose a rather large army at once. They had even managed to evade notice from their lookout assuming this pack of wolves came from the North. 

With one swing of Mjölnir, Thor repelled an offensive wolf and sent it flying back. Thor moved quickly through the battlefield, only about two hundred meters away from their campsite. He attacked the wolves with vicious swings of Mjölnir with the intention to kill upon impact. Thor turned as Týr and Baldr charged into the scene, slaying the beasts with fluid motions. 

'Why would the runt initiate such a feeble attack?'

Thor could had admitted without doubt that the results would have been more devastating hadn't he caught on as he did. The pack would have the element of surprise yet there was no chance that they could actually take down an Æsir army division. Was he missing something?

“Thor” Odin called as he rushed into the battlefield. 

The Allfather gleamed in golden armor and his spear Gungnir held tightly in his right hand. Thor offered him a cocky smirk before turning his attention to the impending wolves. Unfortunately for the pack of wild beasts, Thor unleashed his might and sent many to their deaths prematurely. 

The number of wolves were decreasing rapidly and soon they had their tail between their legs. Týr moved to the front line to behead the remaining wolves quickly until an incredibly loud and piercing howl was heard over the commotion of battle. Thor froze and the others did likewise, the remaining wolves looked to the mountain tops.  
The imminent growl was like that of a wolf but it held so much power and force behind it. It was the same howling that he had heard the nights before. He could almost feel the earth beneath him quake as the massive wolf climbed to the top of the mountain, glaring down at the Æsir warriors with a vicious snarl. The ferocious beast was massive, even larger than a full grown Frost Giant. There was only one known wolf of this size and it was the most dangerous of them all. 

“Fenrir!” Odin roared.

A sweat drop rolled down Thor's forehead as he gawked at the sheer scale of this beast. He had heard the legends of Fenrir yet not much was actually known about Fenrir because he roamed deep within the fiercest and most frozen areas of Jötunheimr. Fenrir growled lowly and Thor could feel the rumble beneath his feet. It was then Fenrir attacked as he raced down the mountains with vigor. The smaller wolves, that belonged to Fenrir's pack suddenly attacked once again to please their alpha.

Thor breathed heavily, barely moving out of the way when a wolf charged at him. No doubt these wolves physically were more capable and agile compared to them. The pack of wolves had begun to fight with more vigor and determination, now that Fenrir had arrived. 

The Thunderer couldn't break through the wall of wolves. The pack had deemed him a threat and specifically targeted him hoping to take him out before he could make it to Fenrir. Fenrir was ferocious and mauled the line of men easily and Týr approached him without fear, battleaxe held high in the air. Volstagg and Hogun fought side by side.  
“Keep at it!” Thor encouraged with a smirk to the warriors.

“It is Hogun who slows me down!” Volstagg bellowed swinging his axe. 

“You are easily slowed down” Hogun mumbled in response. 

“These wolves will make a good feast for later on” Volstagg predicted.

“Is food your only concern?” Thor questioned with a laugh.

“You merely jest Thor” 

Suddenly Týr released a scream of pain and Thor turned to see him knelt down beneath Fenrir, clutching his bleeding arm. It looked like Fenrir had torn off his forearm completely as blood dribbled onto the snow. Fenrir snarled before charging to attack Týr once again and Týr wasn't prepared, still clutching to his arm and weapon discarded on the floor. Thor immediately charged through the crowd as fast as he could manage. 

Týr was too far away and Fenrir was just about to launch his fatal attack before he froze in his tracks. It was as if Fenrir suddenly sensed something as he turned to look towards the camp with bloody red eyes. 

☼ ☼ ☼

Loki's vision blurred slightly and he could feel not only his seiðr being drained but his energy and stamina too. The suppressors were supposed to keep him from using his magic but they also served to make him weak and feeble as well. What purpose must Thor place these upon his wrists again? His own body still needed to repair itself. Flesh wounds were usually always easy to patch up but when it involved internal organs and bone reconstruction, the reparation normally took much longer and more seiðr consumption. Why stop the healing process now?

The Thunderer certainly did have a mighty temper and he left in a strange fit of rage that Loki didn't understand. Not long after Thor had left he had heard an incessant bellowing sound before a Æsir guard stepped into Thor's personal tent. Loki for a moment panicked, fearing the worst. He was weak and immobile and the warrior could overpower him easily if he had the desire to but Loki quickly noticed that the Ásgardian warrior only objective was to serve as a guard. Probably under the Thunderer's orders. The warrior stood upright by the tent's door holding a long spear in his hand. There must had been some sort of commotion outside and Loki struggled to regain his senses. He lifted his head and his vision was rapidly returning. The Æsir warrior watched him with mild interest as Loki lifted his body from the floor to sit crouched. The collar around his neck had only a small chain to prevent big movements. He leaned back against the chest behind him, staring down at the tent's floor. 

He tried to focus and he couldn't hear anything useful that would tell him what was going on. Silence filled the atmosphere and he could hear distant rumbling. It possibly could have been distant fighting.

Loki froze immediately when a deafening roar sounded out through the area. The howl was like a wolf's call but it held so much power behind it. Loki knew it was no ordinary wolf. He swallowed softly and clenched his fist in agitation. 

Could it be Fenrir? Why in the world did Fenrir come here?

Loki tried to retain a calm exterior before lifting his gaze to the soldier standing by the door. He didn't know the reason for Fenrir's strange and sudden appearance. It could have been a mere coincidence or perhaps Fenrir had some strange motive. Loki hadn't seen Fenrir since he was a small pup. Fenrir, like most of Loki's monster children were either sent or casted away by the Ice King Laufey. Fenrir was casted out into Jötunheimr's wastelands, far away from the palace so that he might never return. 

When he had raised Fenrir as a pup, he had been the size of a full grown wolf so he could only imagine how much he had grown since the years he saw him last. When Fenrir was a pup, he was quite ill-tempered towards everyone who wasn't Loki. His pup, despite his power and strength held much respect and unconditional love for him and only him. It was when Fenrir reached his late childhood years when Laufey deemed him dangerous and unpredictable and casted him out. He was left out in the harsh forgotten lands of Jötunheimr and from there, turned into one of Jötunheimr's fiercest beasts. 

“Fenrir” Loki heard the guard whisper is disbelief. 

The guard stood by the door, peering out from Thor's high tent. If Fenrir was a large as the rumors said, he would definitely be able to see him from such a distance.  
“Will your men be fine without you?” Loki asked with feigned sincerity. 

“Don't even try Jötunn” the guard retorted with a hard glare. “I will not fall for your witchery.” 

“My magic is sealed” Loki replied innocently, lifting up his bound hands as evidence. “Do you think you could take on Fenrir?”

“Aye witch. I have slayed countless beasts twice the size of Fenrir” the warrior boasted, peering outside the tent once more, suddenly more interested in watching the battle field.   
Loki smirked softly. He looked down to the golden cuffs upon his wrists that sealed his seiðr. He took a deep breath before glancing at his hands. While the guard watched the scene happening outside the tent, he started to apply pressure to the base of his left thumb. Loki bit on his lip as he pushed his thumb with increasing force until searing pain erupted within his hand and a soft popping sound was heard. He held his breath again as he worked with haste to dislocate his other thumb. The pain was immense but his survival depended on this. 

“You look to be one of the strongest Ásgardian warriors I have seen. Why are you stationed as a guard instead of a soldier.” Loki suddenly asked. 

“Quite the silver tongue you got there. Keep ye yapping and we'll have to put your mouth to a better use” the guard suggested with a dirty smirk.

The warrior turned his gaze outside once again and Loki was able to slip off the shackle without much trouble. Once his thumbs had been dislocated, his hands were small enough to slip from the cuffs. Loki gave a sigh of relief as he felt his seiðr return to him and he worked quickly to pop his thumbs back into place. From his palms, red seiðr had begun to leak from them. Immediately he took control of his seiðr and refused it to leak from his body. 

Loki looked up to the guard and allowed his seiðr to spike. He desperately hoped he had made the right gamble. Fenrir as a pup was unusually quite protective over Loki and he never strayed to far from him. Loki remembered countless times where he played tricks on Fenrir, hiding within the kingdom but Fenrir was always able to sense him and track him down without fail. Loki finally understood why Fenrir had attacked the camp. Thor must have had a hunch as well that Loki's seiðr had attracted the beast; hence why he placed the restraints on again. 

There was a moment of silence as Loki allowed his seiðr to spread through his body. It wouldn't too long before Fenrir caught onto his trail.

“You said that you could take on Fenrir” Loki stated. 

The guard looked to him with question and Loki only gave him a soft smirk. 

“Good luck”

Of course, the guard gave him a bewildered look before the ground had started to rumble. The warrior suddenly realized before looking to the door with shock but he was too late. He tried to draw his weapon but a massive black wolf came crashing through the tent. 

Loki gasped as Fenrir destroyed the tent immediately and jumped on top of the warrior. The Æsir man scream in horror as Fenrir mauled him to bits. Loki froze in sudden fear as Fenrir tore the man apart without hesitation. 

Fenrir was huge, unlike any other wolf in Jötunheimr. He had a thick, black coat of fur and a long raven tail. Loki could see his sharp canines were covered in rich blood mixed with his own saliva. His acute ears were pointed back in an angry snarl and his monstrous paws were lined with razor sharp claws.

Loki came to his senses as Fenrir thrashed the struggling body beneath his paw. Loki dropped the cuffs to the floor and lifted his hands to the collar around his neck. He allowed the frostbite to crawl up his arms and into his palm. His hands grew instantly cold causing the collar to freeze before shattering from the extreme cold.

The once fortified tent was now ruined and exposed to the cold outside. His bounds were now crumbled to the floor and Loki stood to his feet immediately. Fenrir was currently occupied and Loki knew it wouldn't last for long.

He escaped the tent, uncaring for the Ásgardian warrior left behind. The camp was alight in battle and Loki didn't waste his time. The snow was cold against his feet but nonetheless, quite refreshing. He could feel the faint sensation of his seiðr; it was weak but he could still manipulate small spells. His hands flickered green for a moment as he thread through the snow. His seiðr was making his steps lighter and movements more agile.

He noticed the Ásgardians army were under attack by Fenrir and his wolves. There were many wolves painted in furs of black or white viciously attacking the Æsir men. Loki continued to run and he had to run through the battlefield. It was his only chance. 

He darted past many warriors and they called his name in surprise, alerting the others that Loki had escaped. No one really had the free time to pursue him. These wolves were making a perfect distraction that he was eternally grateful for. 

He had managed his way through the snow, the music of battle and bloodshed becoming more faint. His heart was racing, following the steps of his dancing feet. 

“Loki!” came a raging voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger! haha
> 
> Thank you to my lovely readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love to read your reviews- It's good to know how my reader's feel about events and characters!
> 
> Please continue to leave reviews and Kudos


	7. Wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter, Finally! 
> 
> Please note~ I don't think I specified that Jotunn's have blue blood rather than red! It was my mistake and I'll have to go fix any previous chapters. 
> 
> Anyway I don't know if anyone saw this coming but enjoy this chapter! I made sure it was a decent length so as to make up for the long long wait! Thank you to the lovely people who left Kudos and comments! It's great motivation and awesome to see what people think about this story so I can always improve! 
> 
> All errors are mine, and I didn't do much proof reading so terribly sorry for the wait guys! 
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!!
> 
> Valora ☼

“And what do you mean by that?” Fandral asked, sounding offended.

“Not every woman wants you between her legs” Sif snorted.

“Are you implying that I am not that devilishly, handsome man that I see in my reflection?” Fandral gasped.

“I liked it better when you were unconscious” Sif teased.

“I bet you would” Fandral winked

The floorboards creaked not only beneath the warriors' weight but also due to the harsh wind rocking the small tower. The tower's structure wasn't necessarily grand like most Æsir architecture but it performed its duty. The tower was basic, a large hut was hoisted and secured on thick beams of wood. The was a long ladder that descended from the platform to the bottom of the scout tower. The height gave the lookout warriors better grounds to observe along the frozen plains. Large lamps were extended out through the hut above and along the trenches below, offering light amongst the dark. It gave a little more aid through the murky blizzard winds.

“Though, if I am being honest- I would rather unconsciousness. This cold is unbearable!”

“What did you expect?” she questioned.

Fandral came to stop by the railing glaring out into the cold, winter night. He shivered at the sight. The platform's roofing only supplied some comfort from the wind. Thick pelts were roped to the wooden railings and pillars, also covering some of the floorboards.

“And to think that the Jötunn's wear nothing more than a loincloth.” Fandral commented. “Have you seen the way the youngest Laufeyson dresses? Not that I'm complaining! He has quite a pleasing figure.”

“Are you coming out?” Sif wondered.

Fandral only hummed in response still staring out through the hut. He suddenly noticed a small figure approaching, running through the snow. He held a cloth to his face so as to breath easier in the wind and goggles to protect his eyes. 

Immediately he could recognize the man as an Ásgardian but his purpose was unclear. From his appearance, Fandral could guess that he was the camp's runner for either relaying critical information or emergencies. The runner was greeted by the warrior situated at the post. He watched as the two conversed and Fandral leaned forward. From their height, it was a little difficult to notice what was happening just beneath them.

“There seems to be news from the campsite” Fandral noted to Sif.

“They can send him up” Sif stated, eyes scanning over the final plans that they had been provided with. The papers were scattered neatly across the wooden bench.

Fandral continued to watch the pair as the began to run towards the ladder beneath the platform and out of sight.

“It probably has something to do with Loki” Fandral guessed turning away from the railing. “Baldr described him as quite the trickster. Perhaps he made a run for it”

“I doubt it. Thor was made charge of Loki”

“Care to bet?” Fandral smirked.

“Name yours”

The two warriors shared a short laugh. Fandral walked from the ledge to the middle of the room where the small trapdoor was. He stood by the door waiting patiently for the announcement of arrival. There were a few moments of silence before Fandral looked at Sif in confusion but she just merely shrugged.

“They are coming aren't they? How long does it take?”

“Well, if he is anything like you, he probably got caught up in his own reflection” Sif replied and Fandral waved her off in dismissal.

The tower gave a long, eerie sigh and the floorboards creaked in sudden pain. There was a audible cracking sound as if the wood was being stripped from the pillars. Fandral glanced at Sif in alarm and she shared the same concern but their reaction was too late. A resounding, singular crack was heard immediately afterwards and it echoed through the plains. It was too late and the tower began to give way in defeat.

The tower came crumbling down, groaning as it plummeted to the icy earth. Fandral and Sif had little time to brace themselves for the fall. Snow and ice was thrown in the air as the tower hit the ground causing a cloud of white to envelop the area. The debris from the fallen tower landed mostly in the trenches but some had scattered even far across the plains. The lanterns were smashed open and the flames were carried away into the night. The sky was a murky overcast and the grey clouds hid the shine of the moon.

“Ugh” Fandral groaned.

It was hard to see through the cloudy fog and all the lamps they had were blown out from exposure. He couldn't see nor hear any other warriors around him. He coughed, feeling a massive weight on his chest. Fandral struggled for a moment to lift his hands and he could feel the splintery wood against his palms. He slid the beam off his chest and rested it onto the snow beside him. Fandral stood to his feet, shaking the snow from his clothes.

“Sif!” Fandral called out.

The whole area seemed devoid of any life. There were dozens of warriors who were situated to the lookout. Fandral began searching the area. Sif couldn't have been too far since they did fall together.

“Hey!” he called out but only silence answered back.

He walked forward and suddenly stopped when his boot suddenly made a squelching sound against the snow. Fandral stepped back in surprise when he noticed the snow stained with red blood. He froze, noticing the body half buried under the snow. He muttered a curse before kneeling down onto the ground and clearing the snow from the injured body. It was a soldier with brown hair. His skin was icy-pale and his throat had a gaping slash that was spitting out blood onto the snow.

“What the hell is going on?” Fandral grimaced. “Sif! Where are you?”

The blonde warrior reached for his sword, pulling it from his sheath. The fog was still too thick and he did not trust this silence. Fandral walked forward, over the mutilated body and any wooden obstacles in his way.

Fandral looked ahead of him, realizing that the fog was gradually clearing. He could see more of the wreckage and with fear- he noticed many other bodies laying unmoving in the snow. The bodies of his fellow Ásgardians. There were limbs appearing out from under the snow along, snow stained red due to the carnage.

The harsh wind was helping to scatter the fog and Fandral suddenly noticed the flicker of red behind the dissipating cloud of snow. The gleaming red was focused in his line of sight and Fandral froze. It only took him a moment to recognize that the piercing red belonged to two sets of eyes. Whoever it was, they were rapidly approaching.

Two massive figures were approaching from behind the fog. Fandral froze, eyes widening as he took in the appearance of the two intruders. The two invaders had massive builds, sharp and dark runes imprinted on thick blue skin. They both were notably Jötunn but for some reason, they appeared more vicious than any Jötunn that Fandral himself had came into contact with. Both had thick bones protruding from their scalps which were jagged and sharp- like the shape of a bull's horns.

Fandral noticed that the runes on their face were exactly identical. The only reason for similar sigils would be that they were of the same bloodline. This meant that they had to have some sort of relation- if Fandral had to guess, it probably would be a brotherly-relation considering their similar attributes and age approximation. He took a moment to recall Loki's own sigils and then his heart skipped a beat. The circular runes along the forehead and tear-like track marks descending down the cheeks. They appeared too identical to Loki's runes- to Laufey's runes.

Fandral lifted his sword and a rush of adrenaline filled his body. He may have been wrong with the sigil match-ups but he trusted in his discovery that these two Jötunn are the older brother's of Loki Laufeyson. Helblindi and Býleistr. The sigils were identical but he remembered how Loki's looked feminine, the lines were soft and curved. Býleistr and Helblindi both had sharper and thicker lines compared to their youngest sibling.

He assumed the larger one was Helblindi, he who had a thick high ponytail where the sides of his head were shaved completely. Býleistr was smaller by only a modicum but still frightening than most Ice warriors Fandral had fought in the past. They were covered by thick pelts across their pelvis's and golden adornments to their body.

The smoke was clearing around the two Ice giants. They walked through the snow, the blood at their feet was crystallizing and the snow was freezing into cemented ice from their steps. The piercing ruby eyes lay straight in his direction.

Fandral's hands tightened as he held his blade towards the imposing jötunns. Býleistr came to stop in front of him and he lifted one massive hand to show his forearm fully encased with ice in the shape of a blade but it was painted in Ásgardian blood. Fandral stood his ground as Býleistr declared some sort of challenge but neither Jötunn said a word which was the most frightening. It was only a split second later when Býleistr unexpectedly destroyed his own weapon- shattering it effortlessly; all the while, his threatening glare never leaving Fandral.

Fandral looked surprised for a second before gathering himself. He couldn't decipher if the Jötunn was trying to taunt him or he truly believe Fandral wasn't a threat worth taking seriously. Helblindi stood a few meters behind his younger brother with his boulder-crushing arms crossed against his chest; it was clear that he wasn't going to get involved unnecessarily.

He looked back to Býleistr who was presumably waiting for Fandral's first strike. Fandral wasn't stupid to follow in Býleistr's steps; he wasn't that confident in his ability to take down his opponent unarmed. He was a swordsman.

The silver sword glimmered as he tilted the blade. Fandral launched forward, sword held high towards his enemy. He could see the demonic colored eyes lazily watching his movements. He raised his sword before bringing it down to attack Býleistr. He aimed for his lower half, specifically for the legs in hopes of incapacitating his enemy.

Býleistr was able to dodge easily despite his larger frame. The frost giants he had fought in the past weren't as agile and they were weighed down by their sluggish forms. It seemed more experienced warriors had exceeded past those limitations. Despite whatever agility Býleistr possessed, Fandral was faster.

Fandral recoiled quickly before sidestepping the blue-skinned warrior, to confront his back before attempting another strike. Like before, he was able to evade the Æsir's attack with apparent ease. Fandral picked up his speed, dashing around Býleistr and swinging his sword at the suddenly passive aggressor; Býleistr wasn't fighting back. He was merely dodging Fandral's attacks as if it were some game.

He grimaced at the thought of being toyed with as he suddenly charged at Býleistr head on. He aimed his sword before swinging it with agile might. Býleistr didn't even make a move to dodge it and the sword's edge embedded into his bare chest.

Beads of blue blood dribbled from the wound and coated the silver steel. Fandral was a little shocked that his attack made actual contact but before he could pull away, Byleistr's massive hand captured his forearm in a vice grip. The Frost Giant wasn't fazed by the wound in his chest as his thick, rough skin didn't allow the sword to venture very deep. Fandral was unable to escape and Byleistr's grasp was crushing his arm.

He felt the bones underneath his skin grinding, threatening to break under the immense pressure any moment and with a final attempt he tried retching his arm free.

Fandral suddenly felt the snow against his back, cool and hard. Býleistr glared at him with vicious ruby eyes, and the Ásgardian felt the heat of hatred.

☼ ☼ ☼

“Loki!” came a raging voice.

Loki skidded to a abrupt pause, causing the snow at his feet to pick up and drift in the air aimlessly. The voice was vaguely familiar to him… only vaguely. His blood-red eyes narrowed dangerously and were set on the distant horizon of freedom stubbornly. He was tired of running and each attempt- becoming more futile and chances slim. He could sense other unknown energies -at least three- that were rapidly approaching and he suddenly didn't like the odds.

"Loki, will you come compliantly?"

At that, Loki seethed in anger. It was Baldr's voice, calm and deep.

"I don't want to hurt you but I can't let you get away. If you continue on your path, you will leave me with no choice" Baldr suggested.

Baldr's intention was as clear as crystal water. Eventually, the Ásgardians would fend off the canine onslaught and he couldn't guess how many warriors would be dispatched in search parties. If anyone like Týr were able to catch him, there was no telling what kind of punishment they would dole out. Aesir weren't kind to Jötunn prisoners -or jötunns in general- and his only protection was the Odinson boys. It seemed like Baldr didn't know his magic was no longer suppressed. He wouldn't be so helpless anymore. If the Odinson showed him any restraint or leniency it would be the last thing he did.

Without a hint of indecision, Loki spun around to face Baldr and glared nothing but loathing at the Aesir.

"I will not be a prisoner to your pathetic people" Loki objected in detest.

"I'll do what I must" Baldr insisted.

"You can try" Loki taunted

Loki braced himself, naked heels digging into the snow for support and he clenched his hands tightly. Sparks of beryl emerald flickered around Loki's body like electricity and Baldr looked at him in alarm, reaching for his thick, broad sword that was resting in the sheath strapped to his back. The terrain had begun to quake under the pressure and the snow and debris was suddenly picked up by the waves of seiðr running through the air. He was able to summon his seiðr but his supply was alarmingly low, having been sealed for such a long period.

It took Baldr a few moments to ponder before he glanced at the mystical aura that had begun to spill forth from Loki's azure body. His eyes fell to Loki's bare wrists, noticing that the pure gold seidr containments had been removed and he suddenly realized Loki was powering up. Baldr cursed in consternation before charging at Loki to put an end to his exertion.

Loki's reaction was quick and he retaliated in the same way, charging at him- empty handed. He prepared his sword, waiting until the right moment to swing his weapon. There was a second of anticipation before Baldr swung his massive broadsword when the Jötunn was in range but his sword only made contact with the empty air. The Æsir gawked in confusion seeing no sign of Loki as he all of a sudden disappeared into thin air. Baldr scanned the area before turning and a flash of white immediately covered his vision as snow was thrown into his eyes and face. Baldr cursed loudly, stumbling back and rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

Loki smirked in satisfaction watching as the almighty Odinson staggered backward and he summoned an ice blade to form around encase his forearm and hand before slamming it into Baldr's chest, aiming for his heart without hesitation but his grin of satisfaction dropped immediately, watching the ice around his hand shatter into tiny pieces like his attack was nothing. The ice blade tore open his furs and winter clothing only to reveal a suit of chain mail clothing beneath his overcoats.

Loki growled angrily before jumping back to place some safe distance between them as Baldr recovered quickly, scowling in humiliation at falling for such a cheap trick. It was the first time he saw anger in Baldr's usually calm, brown eyes. Baldr rushed forward and Loki backed up in unforeseen concern and panic before accidently slipping and falling on his back. Loki's heart froze, horror rising rapidly at his mistake. Baldr was above him in an instant and Loki acted quickly, forming a long beam of ice as Baldr brought his sword down. Ice and steel met in a fierce clash but Loki was no naïve fool. Baldr had the superior strength and he knew he would not be able to push Baldr back so he used Baldr's own momentum against him, knocking his sword to the side causing it to pierce the ground a few inches beside him.

Loki felt the sword's impact just beside him and he jumped towards Baldr, catching his hand around the sword's hilt and he allowed his frostbite to burn Baldr's gloved hand. Baldr was caught off guard and without giving him a chance to retreat Loki used his other hand. He reached out to Baldr's face just as he was stepping backwards in pain, Loki charged a force palm that sent him flying backwards.

Loki jumped to his feet, holding out his hand and a small emerald ball had begun to form and it had slowly begun to grow. He watched mercilessly, not allowing Baldr to regain his balance before sending off the blast into his direction watching it detonate with a loud explosion, causing a mushroom cloud of smoke to form. There was a shockwave dispersed from the outbreak traveling for miles and it wouldn't be long before Aesir soldiers would rush to the scene.

Without a care for Baldr, Loki turned in the opposite directions and continued his dash for freedom.

☼ ☼ ☼

Fenrir could only be see faintly in the distance due to his massive stature and Thor pressed on, his horse galloping in the thick snow. The beast was panting heavily, and Thor looked to his father who was a little ahead of him. He was riding his gifted horse Sleipnir, a pure black stallion -larger and faster than the rest- consisting of eight powerful legs that dashed through the layers of snow like it was nothing. He remembered the day when Laufey and his counselling party visited Asgard on diplomatic affairs. The Ice Giant presented a young foal with double the normal number of legs as a gift to the king. Odin accepted it with gratitude but Thor thought of it as a grave insult by presenting a deformed horse to the court. Now Sleipnir was the most powerful and dependable horse in all of Asgard and possibly throughout the realms.

Thor squinted through the snow, realizing that they were quickly catching up to the monstrous wolf though it seemed as Fenrir had come to an abrupt stop. Baldr had gone after Loki when Fenrir took down the tent caging their Jötunn prisoner, though the two did have a lead, it wouldn't take either Fenrir or Thor long to catch up to them. Thor could gather, that Fenrir was after Loki, for reasons he did not know. Whether Fenrir wanted to help Loki in any way or if his desire was to maul him Thor could not allow them to meet.

Fenrir came into clear view and it looked like he was sniffing something, his snout close to the ground. The wolf was standing in the small crater, tail swishing violently. Thor jumped from his steed to the ground, immediately reaching for Mjölnir as Fenrir turned to face them, snarling and baring his massive canines.

Thor's eyes suddenly fell upon the body lying in the snow and his face fell, seeing Baldr unconscious beneath Fenrir. Thor's expression quickly changed from stone cold to acrimony and anguish. Baldr's body was contorted into an uncomfortable, mangled position and Thor's accusing eyes fell upon Fenrir with palpable rage. He was about to charge thoughtlessly, readying his trusty hammer to dole out some vengeance for his brother but Odin's firm voice caught him off guard.

"Don't be so hasty Thor!" Odin hastily reprimanded. "It wasn't Fenrir who did this to Baldr, look at his forearm"

Thor paused for a second to listen to his father's orders before glancing at his fallen brother. There were explicit wounds on Baldr's forearm and upper hand and Thor recognized it as the work of a Jotunn's frostbite. The clothing was singed away and the skin was a charcoal black. Baldr had gone after Loki and Thor wouldn't have guessed it was his brother laying unconscious on the floor; with evidence of the frostbite, it seemed as if Loki had managed to remove his repressive shackles.

"This was Loki's doing, and now he is escaping!" Odin concluded in apprehension.

Thor's fist clenched and he looked back up to the demon wolf. Fenrir took a small step backwards before he let out a loud, earth-shattering howl which caused the snow beneath them to shift. Immediately afterwards smaller, distant howls were heard as a reply and Thor glared at Fenrir, realizing he was calling for assistance.

Thor charged forward, aiming Mjölnir so it would collide into Fenrir's jaw but the wolf jumped out of his path and Thor came to an abrupt stop. He knelt down to Baldr's body, feeling desperately for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling Baldr's strong pulse, alive and well. It seemed that he had just been knocked out by some powerful force or explosion.

"I'll deal with Fenrir" Thor spoke as he stood to his feet, looking to Odin.

Odin strolled over on Sleipnir's back and took his youngest son onto the steed's back. His old eyes met with Thor's fierce azure eyes as he nodded to his son. Sleipnir turned on his heel before dashing off back towards the camp. Thor didn’t watch them leave, his bright eyes locked on Fenrir and the wolf glared back with the intensity of a wildfire. 

Thor’s temper was bursting at the seams, his desperation overflowing realizing that Loki was so far out of reach and he had many hurdles in his own path that would deter him. He never would have thought that a runt Jötunn would be capable of escaping their camp; humiliation burning at his core when knowing that the mage was under his care.

Fenrir was holding back, pacing angrily and growling at the Ásgardians. The distant howling was growing louder and ever closer and Thor could count at least five, white wolves sprinting through the snow with agile ease. 

It didn’t seem possible, though it seemed like Fenrir’s snarl twisted into a vicious smirk as his tribe of canines surrounded Thor. All the wolves of Jötunheimr were gifted with a snow-like pelt, perfect for stealth and camouflage save for the massive demon wolf, Fenrir whose coat was like the darkest, night sky. Fenrir probably had no use for stealth, able to outrun and exhaust his prey easily. 

Without fear, Thor lifted his hammer as adrenaline pumped through his veins with the feel of battle. Fenrir growled angrily to his canine companions like some bark of orders before turning away from Thor. The nefarious wolf took off into the snow with powerful acceleration that Thor had no chance of matching. Thor’s expression darkened angrily as he watched Fenrir dash off knowing that following Fenrir was their only chance of finding Loki through the foggy wastelands. There was a heavy feeling in his gut as the chances of retrieving the tricky sorcerer were blown away with the harsh wind of Jötunheimr. 

“Coward!” Thor yelled, watching Fenrir’s retreating body. 

His words died harmlessly in the cold air as the wolf continued his pursuit and Thor raged, throwing Mjölnir. The hammer cut through the atmosphere and it glided straight past Fenrir, missing him barely yet the wolf took no notice or care and Thor glared angrily. 

He pulled his hand back, calling for Mjölnir to retreat and as he did, the smaller wolves growled viciously before pouncing at him unforgivingly.

☼ ☼ ☼

Loki panted heavily, ice cold air being drawn into his lung rapidly yet his body was accustomed to this intense wintry atmosphere. His endurance and seidr levels were alarmingly low and he needed to recuperate. He had been using his magic to further enhance his steps and he finally had a advantage. He had advanced through the flat wastelands and come across a rocky cliff-face where several mountain protruded through the pale snow; a perfect place to regenerate his strength. 

He approached one of the smaller mounds of rock, finding a large opening that granted access inside and shelter from the temperatures outside. Loki strolled inside, darkness greeting him with a eerie silence. He held out his hand, pouring a little energy into a palm which caused a weak ball of light to form and it provided enough luminous energy for him to investigate. The cavern was a lot smaller than he expected it to be, still large enough to fit a pack of Frost Giants. 

Loki walked to the back of the cave, before sitting down on the cold, damp floor as he lifted a hand into the air. He called over an illusion like a veil over the mountain, that covered the opening and making it seem completely sealed off. Once the illusion had been casted, he dropped his hand into his lap, tired and drained as he closed his eyes. Slowly, Loki drifted into a state of meditation. 

He could never track time while he was mediating, though it seemed to fly past his closed eyelid like hours were minutes and minutes were seconds. Usually, nothing around him could rouse him and pull him from his medicinal stupor but Loki felt a strange feeling overcome him, and it was a dark and heavy feeling. 

☼ ☼ ☼

Heavy footsteps hit the snow as a demonic wolf pawed through the area, snout sniffing the ground adamantly for a specific scent. The snow storm covered his tracks almost immediately as he trudge through the snow until the scent had come to a dead end. 

Fenrir’s journey brought him to a craggy end, and he approached a mountain rockface and sniffed it curiously. The scent ended here and yet Loki was no where to be seen.

☼ ☼ ☼ 

Loki’s eye twitched, his meditation coming to an abrupt halt as he felt a massive energy around him. Suddenly, he jerked out of his introspection and his eyes slowly slid open as a black figure slowly emerged from behind the illusion as if it wasn’t even there. 

Fenrir's enormous figure gradually entered the through the mountain’s opening, his deep red eyes glued onto Loki’s small stature. Loki stiffened but he did not dare move a single muscle, just watching as Fenrir stalked into the cave. 

He approached Loki slowly and wandered around to his side before suddenly dropping down, and Loki’s eyes widened when he felt Fenrir’s thick, charcoal coat on his skin. The wolf curled at Loki’s side, whining softly before closing his eyes and resting comfortably. 

Loki was frozen for a minute before a slow and calm smile crept on his face and he allowed a hand to caress Fenrir and he closed his eyes again, entering a state of serene.

"Thank you..."


End file.
